Analysis of TOPSIS techniques based on bipolar complex fuzzy N-soft setting and their applications in decision-making problems

A novel model termed a bipolar complex fuzzy N-soft set(BCFN-SS)is initiated for tackling information that involves positive and negative aspects,the second dimension,and parameterised grading simultaneously.The theory of BCFN-SS is the generalisation of two various theories,that is,bipolar complex fuzzy(BCF)and N-SS.The invented model of BCFN-SS helps decision-makers to cope with the genuine-life dilemmas containing BCF information along with parameterised grading at the same time.Further,various algebraic operations,including the usual type of union,intersection,complements,and a few others types,are invented.Certain primary operational laws for BCFNSS are also invented.Moreover,a technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution(TOPSIS)approach is devised in the setting of BCFN-SS for managing strategic decision-making(DM)dilemmas containing BCFN-SS information.Keeping in mind the usefulness and benefits of the TOPSIS approach,two various types of TOPSIS approaches in the environment of BCFN-SS are devised and then a numerical example for exposing the usefulness of the devised TOPSIS approach is interpreted.To disclose the prominence and benefits of the devised work,the devised approaches with numerous prevailing work are compared.

Aggregation operators and CRITIC-VIKOR method for confidence complex q-rung orthopair normal fuzzy information and their applications

Supply chain management is an essential part of an organisation's sustainable programme.Understanding the concentration of natural environment,public,and economic influence and feasibility of your suppliers and purchasers is becoming progressively familiar as all industries are moving towards a massive sustainable potential.To handle such sort of developments in supply chain management the involvement of fuzzy settings and their generalisations is playing an important role.Keeping in mind this role,the aim of this study is to analyse the role and involvement of complex q-rung orthopair normal fuzzy(CQRONF)information in supply chain management.The major impact of this theory is to analyse the notion of confidence CQRONF weighted averaging,confidence CQRONF ordered weighted averaging,confidence CQRONF hybrid averaging,confidence CQRONF weighted geometric,confidence CQRONF ordered weighted geometric,confidence CQRONF hybrid geometric operators and try to diagnose various properties and results.Furthermore,with the help of the CRITIC and VIKOR models,we diagnosed the novel theory of the CQRONF-CRITIC-VIKOR model to check the sensitivity analysis of the initiated method.Moreover,in the availability of diagnosed operators,we constructed a multi-attribute decision-making tool for finding a beneficial sustainable supplier to handle complex dilemmas.Finally,the initiated operator's efficiency is proved by comparative analysis.

Impact of foreign direct investment on the exports of five major sectors of Pakistan’s economy:A governance perspective

This study investigates and analyses empirically the impact of Foreign Direct Investment(FDI)inflows on the exports for a panel series of five large-scale manufacturing industries of Pakistan during the period 2000-2020.For this purpose,we establish export production function as based on endogenous growth theory in which role of FDI is considered as additional determinant of export.The Pedroni residual-based co-integration test and Error Correction Model(ECM)are applied for the long and short-run relationships.Pedroni residual based approach highlighted that human capitals,domestic capitals,foreign direct investments,exports,and domestic sales are co-integrated in the long run.According to results of ECM,coefficient of FDI appears to have statistical significant impact on exports and has a positive sign in the long run.Whereas,FDI does not contribute to export growth in the short run but it takes time to influence the growth patterns of the sector.On the basis of theoretical notion of endogenous growth theory,long-run coefficient of FDI may be interpreted as evidence in favour of the hypotheses that FDI has an impact on exports via export development.Thus,it can be concluded that“FDI-based endogenous growth theory”is valid in the case of Pakistan.

A novel extended Portuguese of Interactive and Multi-Criteria Decision Making and Archimedean Bonferroni mean operators based on prospect theory to select green supplier with complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy information

The word sustainable or green supply chain refers to the concept of incorporating sustainable environmental procedures into the traditional supply chain.Green supply chain management gives a chance to revise procedures,materials and operational ideas.Choosing the fuzziness of assessing data and the spiritual situations of experts in the decision-making procedure are two important issues.The main contribution of this analysis is to derive the theory of Archimedean Bonferroni mean operator for complex qrung orthopair fuzzy(CQROF)information,called the CQROF Archimedean Bonferroni mean and CQROF weighted Archimedean Bonferroni mean operators which are very valuable,dominant and classical type of aggregation operators used for examining the interrelationship among the finite number of attributes in modern data fusion theory.Inspirational and well-used properties of the initiated theories are also diagnosed with some special cases.Additionally,the theory of extended TODIM tool using the prospect theory based on CQROF information was discovered,which play an essential and critical role in the environment of fuzzy set theory.Finally,a real life problem by computing a green supply chain management based on the initiated CQROF operators was evaluated and fully illustrating the feasibility and efficiency of the diagnosed work with the help of a comparison between existing and prevailing theories.

饲粮含硫氨基酸水平对岭南黄羽肉鸡生长性能、屠宰性能和肉品质的影响及需要量研究

试验旨在研究饲粮不同含硫氨基酸添加水平对0~21、22~42、43~63日龄岭南黄羽肉鸡生长性能、屠宰性能和肉品质的影响,以探讨快大型岭南黄羽肉鸡各饲养阶段的含硫氨基酸需要量。试验分别选取1日龄、22日龄及43日龄岭南黄羽肉公鸡1440只,随机分为6个组,每组6个重复,每个重复40只。试验A组(对照组)饲喂基础饲粮,B~F组额外添加不同水平的蛋氨酸,使3个阶段的饲粮总含硫氨基酸水平分别为0.57%、0.60%、0.64%、0.71%、0.78%、0.85%与0.52%、0.65%、0.68%、0.76%、0.84%、0.91%以及0.48%、0.55%、0.59%、0.65%、0.72%、0.78%。结果表明:①提高饲粮含硫氨基酸水平,0~21日龄及22~42日龄阶段的平均日增重、0~21日龄腿肌率均显著提高(P<0.05),料重比、22~42日龄的平均日采食量以及22~42日龄腹脂率显著降低(P<0.05),但对肉品质没有显著影响(P>0.05)。②通过非线性回归模型估测,以饲粮含硫氨基酸水平为自变量,以平均日增重或料重比为因变量时,黄羽肉鸡3个阶段最适含硫氨基酸需要量分别为0.715%、0.704%、0.424%和0.722%、0.719%、0.631%。以平均日采食量为因变量时,黄羽肉鸡22~42日龄阶段和43~63日龄阶段最适含硫氨基酸需要量分别为0.753%、0.571%。饲粮中适当提高总含硫氨基酸水平可改善岭南黄羽肉鸡生长性能及屠宰性能。

Effects of age on immune function in broiler chickens

Background:There are many diseases in poultry,many of which are caused by poor immune function.It is not clear how cytokines and various immune cell functions change with age in modern broilers.The purpose of this study was to explore the patterns of development of the immunity of the broiler chickens in cage.Results:The results showed that there were 3 development patterns of immunity in the broiler chickens.The first pattern was Down-Up.Cytokines and some immune indicators first decreased and then increased,and the lowest levels of immunity basically occurred from d 6 to 13.The second pattern was Up-Down,and from d 30 to 34,the highest levels of non-specific cellular immunity components,such as the peripheral blood mononuclear macrophage ratio,specific cellular immunity components,such as the peripheral blood helper T(Th)cell ratio and T cell and B cell proliferation activity,and mucosal immunity components,such as the ileal CD4,TGF-β1 and IgA mRNA levels,were observed.The third pattern was Up-Up,and the levels of the non-specific cellular immunity components,such as the serum nitric oxide(NO),C3 and C4 levels,the specific cellular immunity components,such as the spleen index,peripheral blood IL-2,IFN-γ/IL-4,cytotoxic T(Tc)cell ratio,and splenic NF-κB mRNA levels,the humoral immunity components,such as the serum IgG level,the mucosal immunity components,such as the ileal MHC-II,CD3d,TCRβsubunit,TCRζsubunit,IFN-γ,pIgR mRNA and ileal mucosa sIgA levels,were continuing to increase from d 1 to 34.Conclusions:It could be concluded that the immune system and its function have not developed well in the broiler chickens d 6 to 13 and that the immune system does not mature until d 30 to 34 in the broiler chickens in cages.It is necessary to enhance the immune function of the broiler chickens through nutritional measures from d 1 to 30.

Vibrations of FGM thin cylindrical shells with exponential volume fraction law

In this paper, the influence of an exponential volume fraction law on the vibration frequencies of thin functionally graded cylindrical shells is studied. Material properties in the shell thickness direction are graded in accordance with the exponential law. Expressions for the strain-displacement and curvature-displacement relationships are taken from Love＇s thin shell theory. The Rayleigh-Ritz approach is used to derive the shell eigenfrequency equation. Axial modal dependence is assumed in the characteristic beam functions. Natural frequencies of the shells are observed to be dependent on the constituent volume fractions. The results are compared with those available in the literature for the validity of the present methodology.

Power Aggregation Operators and Similarity Measures Based on Improved Intuitionistic Hesitant Fuzzy Sets and their Applications to Multiple Attribute Decision Making

Intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy set(IHFS)is amixture of two separated notions called intuitionistic fuzzy set(IFS)and hesitant fuzzy set(HFS),as an important technique to cope with uncertain and awkward information in realistic decision issues.IHFS contains the grades of truth and falsity in the formof the subset of the unit interval.The notion of IHFS was defined by many scholars with different conditions,which contain several weaknesses.Here,keeping in view the problems of already defined IHFSs,we will define IHFS in another way so that it becomes compatible with other existing notions.To examine the interrelationship between any numbers of IHFSs,we combined the notions of power averaging(PA)operators and power geometric(PG)operators with IHFSs to present the idea of intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy PA(IHFPA)operators,intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy PG(IHFPG)operators,intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy power weighted average(IHFPWA)operators,intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy power ordered weighted average(IHFPOWA)operators,intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy power ordered weighted geometric(IHFPOWG)operators,intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy power hybrid average(IHFPHA)operators,intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy power hybrid geometric(IHFPHG)operators and examined as well their fundamental properties.Some special cases of the explored work are also discovered.Additionally,the similarity measures based on IHFSs are presented and their advantages are discussed along examples.Furthermore,we initiated a new approach to multiple attribute decision making(MADM)problem applying suggested operators and a mathematical model is solved to develop an approach and to establish its common sense and adequacy.Advantages,comparative analysis,and graphical representation of the presented work are elaborated to show the reliability and effectiveness of the presented works.

Complex neutrosophic generalised dice similarity measures and their application to decision making

Complex neutrosophic set(CNS)is a modified version of the complex fuzzy set,to cope with complicated and inconsistent information in the environment of fuzzy set theory.The CNS is characterised by three functions expressing the degree of complex-valued membership,complex-valued abstinence and degree of complex-valued non-membership.The aim of this manuscript is to initiate the novel dice similarity measures and generalised dice similarity using CNS.The special cases of the investigated measures are discussed with the help of some remarks.Moreover,some distance measures based on CNS are also proposed in this manuscript.Then,the authors applied the generalised dice similarity measures and weighted generalised dice similarity measures using CNS to the pattern recognition model to examine the reliability and superiority of the established approaches.The advantages and comparative analysis of the proposed measures with existing measures are also discussed in detail.At last,a numerical example is provided to illustrate the validity and applicability of the presented measures.

Dombi-Normalized Weighted Bonferroni Mean Operators with Novel Multiple-Valued Complex Neutrosophic Uncertain Linguistic Sets and Their Application in Decision Making

Although fuzzy set concepts have evolved,neutrosophic sets are attractingmore attention due to the greater power of the structure of neutrosophic sets.The ability to account for components that are true,false or neither true nor false is useful in the resolution of real-life problems.However,simultaneous variations render neutrosophic sets unsuitable in specific circumstances.To enable the management of these sorts of issues,we combine the principle of multi-valued neutrosophic uncertain linguistic sets and complex fuzzy sets to develop the principle of multivalued complex neutrosophic uncertain linguistic sets.Multi-valued complex neutrosophic uncertain linguistic sets can contain grades of truth,abstinence,and falsity,and uncertain linguistic terms,which are expressed as complex numbers whose real and imaginary parts are limited to the unit interval.Some important Dombi laws are elaborated along with Bonferroni mean operators,which offer a flexible general structure with modifiable factors.Bonferroni means aggregation operators perform a significant role in conveying the magnitude level of options and characteristics.To determine relationships among any number of attributes,we develop multi-valued complex neutrosophic uncertain linguistic Dombi-normalized weighted Bonferroni mean operators and discuss their important properties with some special cases.By using these laws,we can deploy themulti-attribute decisionmaking(MADM)technique using the novel principle of multi-valued complex neutrosophic uncertain linguistic sets.To determine the power and flexibility of the elaborated approach,we resolve some numerical examples based on the proposed operator.Finally,the work is validated with the help of comparative analysis,a discussion of its advantages,and geometric expressions of the elaborated theories.

Cubic q-Rung Orthopair Fuzzy Linguistic Set and Their Application to Multiattribute Decision-making with Muirhead Mean Operator

The objective of this paper is to present a new concept,named cubic q-rung orthopair fuzzy linguistic set(Cq-ROFLS),to quantify the uncertainty in the information.The proposed Cq-ROFLS is a qualitative form of cubic q-rung orthopair fuzzy set,where membership degrees and nonmembership degrees are represented in terms of linguistic variables.The basic notions of Cq-ROFLS have been introduced and study their basic operations and properties.Furthermore,to aggregate the different pairs of preferences,we introduce the Cq-ROFL Muirhead mean-(MM),weighted MM-,dual MM-based operators.The major advantage of considering the MM is that it considers the interrelationship between more than two arguments at a time.On the other hand,the Cq-ROFLS has the ability to describe the qualitative information in terms of linguistic variables.Several properties and relation of the derived operators are argued.In addition,we also investigate multiattribute decision-making problems under the Cq-ROFLS environment and illustrate with a numerical example.Finally,the effectiveness and advantages of the work are established by comparing with other methods.

Novel Complex T-Spherical Dual Hesitant Uncertain Linguistic Muirhead Mean Operators and Their Application in Decision-Making

In this manuscript,the theory of complex T-spherical dual hesitant uncertain linguistic set is discovered,which is the mixture of three different ideas like the complex T-spherical fuzzy set,dual hesitant fuzzy set,and uncertain linguistic set.The complex T-spherical dual hesitant uncertain linguistic set composes the uncertain linguistic set,truth grade,abstinence grade,and falsity grade.Whose real and imaginary parts are the subset of a unit interval,and some of their operational laws are also presented.The theory of complex T-spherical dual hesitant uncertain linguistic Muirhead mean operator,complex T-spherical dual hesitant uncertain linguistic weighted Muirhead mean operator,complex T-spherical dual hesitant uncertain linguistic dual Muirhead mean operator and complex T-spherical dual hesitant uncertain linguistic weighted dual Muirhead mean operator are discovered.Some exceptional cases of the proposed operators are also examined.A multi-attribute decision making technique is further utilized based on explored operators.Moreover,an enterprise informatization level evaluation issue is resolved by using the presented operators to verify the proficiency and capability of the discovered approaches.Finally,some comparative analysis and advantages of the explored works are further developed to express that it is more flexible and effective than the existing methods.

A Machine Learning Based Algorithm to Process Partial Shading Effects in PV Arrays

Solar energy is a widely used type of renewable energy.Photovoltaic arrays are used to harvest solar energy.The major goal,in harvesting the maximum possible power,is to operate the system at its maximum power point(MPP).If the irradiation conditions are uniform,the P-V curve of the PV array has only one peak that is called its MPP.But when the irradiation conditions are non-uniform,the P-V curve has multiple peaks.Each peak represents an MPP for a specific irradiation condition.The highest of all the peaks is called Global Maximum Power Point(GMPP).Under uniform irradiation conditions,there is zero or no partial shading.But the changing irradiance causes a shading effect which is called Partial Shading.Many conventional and soft computing techniques have been in use to harvest solar energy.These techniques perform well under uniform and weak shading conditions but fail when shading conditions are strong.In this paper,a new method is proposed which uses Machine Learning based algorithm called Opposition-Based-Learning(OBL)to deal with partial shading conditions.Simulation studies on different cases of partial shading have proven this technique effective in attaining MPP.

CHFS: Complex hesitant fuzzy sets‐their applications to decision making with different and innovative distance measures

The objective of the authors is to establish an innovative concept of the complex hesitant fuzzy set(CHFS),which is the combination of the hesitant fuzzy set and the complex fuzzy set to manage complex and awkward information in the real‐decision theory.The structure and the basic properties of the proposed set are studied in detail.Based on the internal structure of the set and to find the degree of the discrimination between the pairs of the CHFSs,the generalized distance measures and modified generalized distance measures are defined.Several properties and their relationship between them are derived in detail.Also,several cases of the proposed measures are exposed which reduce them to the existing studies.Furthermore,based on these proposed measures,a decision‐making approach is established under the uncertain environment and several numerical examples are given to examine the feasibility and validity of the explored measures.Finally,the credibility of the modified and parameterized distance measures based on CHFSs is verified by comparing them with some existing measures.

High amylose to amylopectin ratios in nitrogen-free diets decrease the ileal endogenous amino acid losses of broiler chickens

This study explored the variation of ileal endogenous amino acid(IEAA)losses and its influencing factors in chickens offered nitrogen-free diets(NFD)containing different ratios of amylose to amylopectin(AM/AP).A total of 252 broiler chickens at 28 d old were randomly allocated into 7 treatment groups for a 3-d trial.The dietary treatments included a basal diet(control),a NFD containing corn starch(CS),and 5NFD with AM/AP ratios of 0.20,0.40,0.60,0.80,and 1.00,respectively.As the AM/AP ratio increased,the IEAA losses of all AAs,starch digestibility and maltase activity linearly decreased(P<0.05),but the DM digestibility linearly and quadratically decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the control,the NFD increased the number of goblet cells and its regulatory genes mucin-2 and krüppel-like factor 4(KLF-4)while decreasing serum glucagon and thyroxine concentrations,ileal villus height,and crypt depth(P<0.05).Additionally,NFD with lower AM/AP ratios(0.20 and 0.40)decreased the ileal microbiota species richness(P<0.05).In all NFD groups,the number of Proteobacteria increased whereas the abundance of Firmicutes dropped(P<0.05).However,the broilers in the AM/AP 0.60 group were closer to the digestive physiological state of chickens fed the control diet,with no significant change in maltase activity and mucin-2 expression(P<0.05).In conclusion,increasing AM/AP ratio in a NFD decreased the IEAA losses and the apparent ileal digestibility of starch but inevitably resulted in malnutrition and disruption of gut microbiota homeostasis.This study recommends AM/AP in NFD at 0.60 to measure IEAA of broiler chickens.

Dietary supplementation with 2-hydroxy-4-methyl(thio)butanoic acid and DL-methionine improves productive performance,egg quality and redox status of commercial laying ducks

This experiment aimed to study the effects of supplemental methionine sources,2-hydroxy-4 methyl(thio)butanoic acid(HMTBa)and DL-Methionine(DL-Met),on productive performance,egg quality,and redox status of laying ducks.A total of 792 healthy 25-wk-old Longyan laying ducks with similar body weights were randomly allotted to 11 treatment groups.Each treatment group had 6 replicates of 12 ducks.The trial lasted for 16 wk.Ducks were fed a basal deficient diet(Met:0.24%;Met+Cys:0.51%)or supplemented with DL-Met or HMTBa at 0.05%,0.12%,0.19%,0.26%,and 0.33%of diet,respectively.Compared with the basal diet,supplementation with either DL-Met or HMTBa increased the average egg weight,egg mass,and decreased feed to egg ratio during the whole trial period(P<0.05).Albumen weight and its ratio to total egg weight were increased,but yolk and shell ratio,albumen height,Haugh unit and shell breaking strength were decreased(P<0.05).Dietary DL-Met or HMTBa supplementation increased taurine,methionine,leucine,tryptophan and arginine content,and decreased serine and lysine content in plasma(P<0.05).The redox status of laying ducks was improved by enhancing the glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities,glutathione content and its ratio relative to glutathione(oxidized)content and decreasing malondialdehyde content and increasing mRNA expression of superoxide dismutase-1,glutathione peroxidase-1,hemeoxygenase-1 and nuclear factor-like 2 in liver and ileum with the supplementation of DL-Met or HMTBa(P<0.05).Liver health status measured by average area proportion lipid droplet was improved with supplementation of DL-Met or HMTBa(P<0.05).Villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio in the ileum and the ileal gene expression of tight junction protein and occludin were increased with DL-Met or HMTBa supplementation(P<0.05).Taken together,these results suggested that the efficacy of dietary supplementation of HMTBa was similar to DL-Met,and it ranged from 98%to 100%for productive performance and egg albumen ratio in laying ducks(25 to 41 wk).

Absorption of methionine sources in animals-is there more to know?

This literature review evaluates the absorption of methionine (Met) sources such as 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyric acid (HMTBa), its calcium salts (HMTBa-Ca), and DL-methionine (DL-Met) by focusing on the state of knowledge regarding the absorption mechanism, experimental methodology, and factors affecting their absorption. The 2 Met sources differ in mechanism and site of absorption due to differences in their chemical characteristics and enzymatic conversion. This review addresses diffusion- and transport-mediated absorption systems for amino acids and carboxylic compounds, best elucidated by in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo experimental models. Opportunities and limitations in the use of radioisotopes to depict absorption sites as well as host and microbial metabolism are described. Physiological and environmental conditions that lead to changes in gut absorptive capacity and the impact of Met source absorption are also evaluated. This review concludes that any comparison between HMTBa and DL-Met should consider their different behaviors during the absorption phase. Hence, the chemical characteristics of these 2 molecules entail different absorption sites and mechanisms, from passive absorption in the case of HMTBa and HMTBa-Ca to active transporters for DL-Met, HMTBa, and HMTBa-Ca. In addition, the different conversion modes of these 2 molecules further differentiate their absorption modes. Considering these important differences, it is easier to understand the apparent divergence between the conclusions of existing publications. When comparing these 2 molecules, it is recommended to properly adapt to the conditions under which the absorption of Met sources is evaluated.

A systematic review of metabolism of methionine sources in animals:One parameter does not convey a comprehensive story

The goal of this review article,based on a systematic literature search,is to critically assess the state of knowledge and experimental methodologies used to delineate the conversion and metabolism of the 2 methionine(Met)sources DL-methionine(DL-Met)and DL-2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid(HMTBa).The difference in the chemical structures of HMTBa and DL-Met indicates that these molecules are absorbed and metabolized differently in animals.This review explores the methodologies used to describe the 2-step enzymatic conversion of the 3 enantiomers(D-HMTBa,L-HMTBa and D-Met)to L-Met,as well as the site of conversion at the organ and tissue levels.Extensive work was published documenting the conversion of HMTBa and D-Met into L-Met and,consequently,the incorporation into protein using a variety of in vitro techniques,such as tissue homogenates,cell lines,primary cell lines,and everted gut sacs of individual tissues.These studies illustrated the role of the liver,kidney,and intestine in the con-version of Met precursors into L-Met.A combination of in vivo studies using stable isotopes and infusions provided evidence of the wide conversion of HMTBa to L-Met by all tissues and how some tissues are net users of HMTBa,whereas others are net secreters of L-Met derived from HMTBa.Conversion of D-Met to L-Met in organs other than the liver and kidney is poorly documented.The methodology cited in the literature to determine conversion efficiency ranged from measurements of urinary,fecal,and respiratory excretion to plasma concentration and tissue incorporation of isotopes after intraperitoneal and oral in-fusions.Differences observed between these methodologies reflect differences in the metabolism of Met sources rather than differences in conversion efficiency.The factors affecting conversion efficiency are explored in this paper and are mostly associated with extreme dietary conditions,such as noncommercial crystalline diets that are very deficient in total sulfur amino acids with respect to requirements.Impli-cations in the diversion of the 2 Met sources toward transsulfuration over transmethylation pathways are discussed.The strengths and weaknesses of some methodologies used are discussed in this review.From this review,it can be concluded that due to the inherent differences in conversion and metabolism of the 2 Met sources,the experimental methodologies(e.g.,selecting different organs at different time points or using diets severely deficient in Met and cysteine)can impact the conclusions of the study and may explain the apparent divergences of conclusion found in the literature.It is recommended when con-ducting studies or reviewing the literature to properly select the experimental models that allow for differences in how the 2 Met precursors are converted to L-Met and metabolized by the animal to enable a proper comparison of their bioefficacy.

Dietary methionine sources and levels modulate the intestinal health status of broiler chickens

Given the key role of methionine in biological processes,adequate methionine should be provided to meet the nutritional requirements.DL-2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)-butanoic acid(DL-HMTBA)has been considered as an important source of methionine.However,the effects of different sources and levels of methionine on the intestinal health status have not been clarified yet.An experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of different dietary sources and levels of methionine on the intestinal epithelial barrier,inflammatory cytokines expression,ileal morphology,microbiota composition,and cecal short chain fatty acids(SCFA)profiles.For this purpose,720 male Arbor Acre broiler chicks at 1 d old were randomly assigned to a 2×3 factorial arrangement with 2 methionine sources(DL-methionine and DLHMTBA)and 3 total sulfur amino acids(TSAA)levels(80%,100%,and 120%of Arbor Acre recommendation).The results showed that DL-HMTBA supplementation promoted intestinal physical barrier at both gene expression level of claudin-1 and serum diamine oxidase level(P<0.05),and the inflammatory cytokine IL-6 m RNA expression was down-regulated by dietary DL-HMTBA supplementation compared with the DL-methionine group(P<0.05).Meanwhile,an upregulated gene expression of claudin-1 and zonula occluden-1(ZO-1)were observed in the low-TSAA treatment on d 14(P<0.05),whereas this treatment increased the expression of IL-1βand IL-6(P<0.05).Villus height to crypt depth ratio was high(P<0.05)in the middle-level TSAA group.Furthermore,DL-HMTBA supplementation optimized the microbiota of the ileum especially the relative abundance of Lactobacillus,where the digestion and absorption were completed,and elevated the concentrations of SCFA(acetate,propionate,and butyrate)in the cecal content on d 21(P<0.01).In conclusion,dietary DL-HMTBA supplementation improved the intestinal barrier function,immune homeostasis and optimized the microbiota to promote intestinal health status in broiler chickens.

Absorption of methionine sources in animals-is there more to know?—— Clarification

Our publication on absorption of methionine sources(Becquet et al.,2023a)is a thorough analysis of 129 references dealing with absorption of sources of methionine,with the objective to critically evaluate the methodologies used and their impact on the conclusions of the studies.As the focus of our publicationwas on the evaluation of absorption,efficacy studies and reports not having information on absorption were not considered(Elwert et al.,2008;Rychen et al.,2008).