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Efficacy of a feed additive consisting of 6-phytase produced by (Komagataella phaffii CGMCC 7.370) (VTR-phytase) for all pigs and growing poultry species (Victory Enzymes GmbH)
No full textFollowing a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the efficacy of 6-phytase produced by Komagataella phaffii CGMCC 7.370 (VTR-phytase) as a zootechnical feed additive for all pigs and growing poultry species. The additive is intended to be commercialised in two formulations: liquid and powder. In a previous opinion the FEEDAP Panel concluded that the additive is safe for target species, consumers and environment. The FEEDAP Panel deemed that both formulations of the additive are not skin and eyes irritant but should be considered skin and respiratory sensitisers. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that VTR-phytase has potential to be efficacious in laying hens at 1000 U phytase/kg complete feed, and this conclusion was extended to all laying and reproductive poultry. However, due to the lack of sufficient data, the Panel was not in a position to conclude on the efficacy for poultry for fattening or reared for laying/breeding, and in any porcine species. The applicant provided new trials to support the efficacy of the additive on those target species. Based on the data provided in the previous and current application, the Panel concluded that the additive has a potential to be efficacious as a zootechnical additive for all poultry for fattening and reared for laying/breeding and reproductive porcine species at 500 U phytase/kg complete feed and all porcine species for fattening and reared for reproduction at 750 U phytase/kg complete feed.</p
Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of Bacillus velezensis NRRL B-67647, Bacillus pumilus NRRL B-67648 and Bacillus licheniformis NRRL B-67649 (Microsaf®) for chickens for fattening, other poultry for fattening and ornamental birds (S.I. Lesaffre)
No full textFollowing a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of Microsaf® when used as a feed additive for chickens for fattening, other poultry for fattening and ornamental birds. The product under assessment is based on viable cells/spores of Bacillus velezensis NRRL B-67647, Bacillus pumilus NRRL B-67648 and Bacillus licheniformis NRRL B-67649. The three bacterial species are considered by EFSA to be suitable for the qualified presumption of safety approach to safety assessment. As the identity of the strains was clearly established, no acquired antimicrobial resistance determinants of concern were detected and the lack of toxigenic potential was corroborated, the FEEDAP Panel considered the use of the active agents safe for the target species, consumers and the environment. Since no concerns are expected from the other components of the additive, the Panel concluded that Microsaf® is also considered safe for the target species, consumers and the environment. Regarding user safety, the additive is not irritant to the skin or eyes provided it is formulated with only calcium carbonate. The additive should be considered skin and respiratory sensitisers, and any exposure via skin or respiratory tract is considered a risk. The FEEDAP Panel concludes that the additive has the potential to improve the zootechnical performance of chickens for fattening at a proposed minimum inclusion level of 3 × 107 total CFU/kg of complete feedingstuffs. These results are extrapolable to other poultry for fattening and ornamental birds. Microsaf® is compatible with diclazuril, narasin, maduramicin ammonium, salinomycin sodium, monensin sodium, robenidine hydrochloride and the combination narasin/nicarbazin, lasalocid and halofuginone.</p
Assessment of the application for modification of the terms of the authorisation of the feed additive consisting of Weizmannia faecalis DSM 32016 (TechnoSpore50®) for all poultry species for fattening, reared for laying/breeding and ornamental birds (Biochem Zusatzstoffe Handels- und Produktionsges. mbH)
No full textFollowing a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the additive consisting of Weizmannia faecalis DSM 32016 (TechnoSpore50®) as a zootechnical feed additive, for all poultry species for fattening, reared for breeding and laying and ornamental birds. The additive is already authorised for use in feed and water for drinking for the above-mentioned species. With this application, the company requested the modification of the current authorisations as regards the simultaneous use of the additive with the coccidiostats amprolium and narasin+nicarbazin. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that the proposed modification in the conditions of the authorisation would not modify the conclusions previously drawn regarding the safety of TechnoSpore50® for target species, consumers and the environment. Regarding user safety, the additive is not a skin/eye irritant but should be considered as a skin and respiratory sensitiser and inhalation and dermal exposure is considered a risk. In a former opinion, the compatibility of TechnoSpore50® with narasin+nicarbazin could not be established in an in vivo trial since the difference in colony counts of non-heat-treated caecal samples from the control group receiving only the additive and the respective treatment group receiving the additive and the coccidiostat was above 0.5 log. The applicant supplied a new in vivo trial suggesting that the microbiological method applied underestimated the counts of non-heat-treated samples since spores of W. faecalis DSM 32016 require a thermal treatment to germinate. Based on these findings, the Panel reconsidered the results of the in vivo trial formerly submitted and concluded that TechnoSpore50® is compatible to narasin+nicarbazin at the proposed conditions of use. TechnoSpore50® was found to be compatible with amprolium in an in vitro test.</p
APOSTEL-R recommendations for reporting retinal optical coherence tomography studies in rodents
No full textBackground and ObjectivesRetinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) in rodent models has been used to longitudinally image retinal changes, to define end points for more costly or time-consuming experiments, and to better understand the pathophysiology underlying OCT findings in human diseases. No standardization of rodent OCT reporting currently exists. Here, we aim to establish consensus recommendation for reporting results from retinal OCT studies in rodents.MethodsInitial recommendations were developed based on the APOSTEL criteria for quantitative OCT reporting in humans by a core team. Using a modified Delphi process, an expert panel of rodent OCT researchers (N = 31) and the wider scientific community discussed, refined, and voted on these initial recommendations. The list of recommendations was then revised and approved by the expert panel.ResultsThe final 7-point checklist includes reporting recommendations regarding the study protocol, OCT device, acquisition settings and modifications, scanning protocol, funduscopic imaging, postacquisition data selection and image data analyses, and qualitative and quantitative results. With a median agreement score of 3 or 4 out of 4, the scientific community agreed with these recommendations. After revisions, the expert panel accepted the final recommendations.DiscussionThe Advised Protocol for OCT Study Terminology and Elements for reporting OCT studies in rodents (APOSTEL-R) originates from an expert consensus. They will provide guidance throughout the experimental process and will contribute to the standardization and quality improvement of preclinical OCT studies
A motor abundance approach to augmented feedback for skill learning
No full textIn this study, the theoretical framework of motor abundance—specifically task-functional motor synergies—was applied to the design of augmented feedback for skill learning. A custom motor task involving a joystick-controlled plane was developed, where task success required coordinating hand velocity and thumb pressure to align with a predefined solution manifold. In Experiment 1, participants trained without augmented feedback over four 100-trial sessions, demonstrating learning through reduced error, increased UCM ratios, and lower motor synergy sample entropy, indicating within-trial redistribution of movement variance along the task-invariant dimension. Experiment 2 compared participants’ performance in a single practice session under three augmented feedback conditions: no feedback, lower-order sonification (separate mapping of velocity and pressure to sound), and higher-order sonification (sonification of deviation from the solution manifold). All groups improved similarly in performance and coordination structure, while higher-order feedback showed greater alignment of movement variance along the manifold, albeit not significantly so. Although not statistically conclusive, this pattern supports the idea that higher-order feedback may contribute to skill learning by educating attention to higher-order invariants. This study represents a first attempt to develop a theoretically grounded method for designing augmented feedback that leverages motor redundancy, with theoretical and practical considerations for future skill learning interventions.<br/
Nucleophosmin supports WNT-driven hyperproliferation and tumor initiation
No full textNucleophosmin (NPM1), a nucleolar protein frequently mutated in hematopoietic malignancies, is overexpressed in several solid tumors with poorly understood functional roles. Here, we demonstrate that Npm1 is upregulated after APC loss in WNT-responsive tissues and supports WNT-driven intestinal and liver tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, NPM1 loss induces ribosome pausing and accumulation at the 5'-end of coding sequences, triggering a protein synthesis stress response and p53 activation, which mediate this antitumorigenic effect. Collectively, our data identify NPM1 as a critical WNT effector that sustains WNT-driven hyperproliferation and tumorigenesis by attenuating the integrated stress response and p53 activation. Notably, NPM1 expression correlates with elevated WNT signaling and proliferation in human colorectal cancer (CRC), while CRCs harboring NPM1 deletions exhibit preferential TP53 inactivation, underscoring the clinical relevance of our findings. Being dispensable for adult epithelial homeostasis, NPM1 represents a promising therapeutic target in p53-proficient WNT-driven tumors, including treatment-refractory KRAS-mutant CRC, and hepatic cancers
Surgical revision in the presence of an S. aureus infection increases virulence factor expression and activates a multi-tissue inflammatory response
No full textReplacing implanted medical hardware due to infection often requires one or more revision surgeries. Each surgery triggers a tissue injury response and disrupts the established bacterial biofilm. However, the complex tissue response to reinjury and biofilm disturbance is not well understood. Our results show that with an existing infection, immunological niches such as the bone marrow, lymph nodes, and circulating blood further upregulate pro-inflammatory programs in response to revision. Rather than reducing bacterial burden, this heightened inflammation provokes virulence factor expression and tissue damage, including bone osteolysis and muscle fibrosis. While muscle fibrosis appears transient and begins resolving by 14 days post-revision, osteolysis continues to progress. This study defines the timing and pathophysiology of coordinated multi-tissue responses to revision during infection. Understanding how host-pathogen interactions influence tissue recovery after revision can help identify risks and guide interventions that minimize damage and maximize bacterial clearance
Eight years of light from ASASSN-15oi: toward understanding the late-time evolution of TDEs
No full textWe present results from an extensive follow-up campaign of the tidal disruption event (TDE) ASASSN-15oi spanning δt ∼ 10–3000 days, offering an unprecedented window into the multiwavelength properties of a TDE during its first ≈8 yr of evolution. ASASSN-15oi is one of the few TDEs with strong detections at X-ray, optical/UV, and radio wavelengths and it also featured two delayed radio flares at δt ∼ 180 days and δt ∼ 1400 days. Our observations at δt > 1400 days reveal an absence of thermal X-rays, a late-time variability in the nonthermal X-ray emission, and sharp declines in the nonthermal X-ray and radio emission at δt ∼ 2800 days and ∼3000 days, respectively. The UV emission shows no significant evolution at δt > 400 days and remains above the pre-TDE level. We show that a cooling envelope model can explain the thermal emission consistently across all epochs. We also find that a scenario involving episodic ejection of material due to stream–stream collisions can possibly explain the first radio flare. Given the peculiar spectral and temporal evolution of the late-time emission, however, constraining the origins of the second radio flare and the nonthermal X-rays remains challenging. Our study underscores the critical role of long-term, multiwavelength follow-up to fully characterize the extended evolutionary phases of a TDE
SN 2024bfu, SN 2025qe, and the early light curves of type Iax supernovae
No full textType Iax supernovae (SNe Iax) are one of the most common subclasses of thermonuclear supernova and yet their sample size, particularly those observed shortly after explosion, remains relatively small. In this paper, we present photometric and spectroscopic observations of two SNe Iax discovered shortly after explosion, SN 2024bfu and SN 2025qe. Both SNe were observed by multiple all-sky surveys, enabling tight constraints on the moment of first light and the shape of the early light curve. Our observations of SN 2025qe begi
Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of COVID-19 mRNA primary-series vaccination in Qatar: An integrated epidemiological and economic analysis
No full textQatar implemented a mass primary-series vaccination campaign to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this program both before and after onset of the omicron wave. An economic evaluation was conducted from the public healthcare system perspective between January 5, 2021, and September 18, 2023. Cost-effectiveness was determined using an epidemiological retrospective cohort study and health economic modeling that compared the cohort of individuals who received two vaccine doses with the unvaccinated cohort with respect to incidence of infection, incidence of severe COVID-19 forms, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and medical costs. During the pre-omicron phase, primary-series vaccination incurred an additional cost of 54,790,858 in direct medical costs. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was 3,180 (95% CI: 4,484) and per severe COVID-19 outcome averted was 42,146-$88,354). Vaccination of individuals ≥50 years of age, those more clinically vulnerable to severe COVID-19, and those with multiple coexisting conditions was substantially more cost-effective. Cost-effectiveness of primary-series vaccination was substantially reduced during the omicron phase, but vaccination remained cost-effective. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the findings. Primary-series vaccination was cost-effective with an ICER below the 1 GDP per capita threshold during the pre-omicron phase and within the 1-3 GDP per capita thresholds during the omicron phase. Targeted vaccination strategies for those most vulnerable to COVID-19 were the most cost-effective and remained essential, even in situations of moderate vaccine effectiveness or reduced infection severity