Replacement of dietary fish meal with plant sources in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss); effect on growth performance, immune responses, blood indices and disease resistance

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of replacing fish meal with plant sources on growth performance, immune responses, hematological parameters and disease resistance in rainbow trout. In this study, mean of initial body weight of fish was 15±2 g and the experiment was carried out for a period of 60 days. Four experimental diets were formulated to replace 0, 40, 70 and 100% fish meal with plant protein sources (wheat gluten, corn gluten and soybean meal). According to results, higher plant protein inclusions (70 and 100%) resulted in undesirable effects on growth, nutritional indices, serum total immunoglobulin and alternative complement activity (P 0.05). Furthermore, replacement of fish meal with plant sources in all treatments had no significant effects on blood parameters (hematocrit, hemoglobin, white blood cells, hetrophil and lymphocytes count). Finally, no significant differences were observed in fish mortality after 15 days of challenges with Yersinia ruckeri among treatments (P > 0.05)

Interactive effect of replacing Dunaliella salina algae by agricultural by-products and probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus on digestive enzymes activity of Artemia franciscana

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of replacing Dunaliella salina algae by agricultural by-products (wheat bran, rice bran and wheat/rice bran) and probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus on digestive enzymes activity of Artemia franciscana in a 17-day period post hatch. The study was a 4×2 factorial experiment carried out as a completely randomized design trial consisting of different dietary treatments (combinations of various substitution levels of Dunaliella salina by wheat bran, rice bran and wheat/rice bran along with probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus). All treatments were performed in triplicates. At the end of the trial, digestive enzymes activity was assayed. The results revealed that Artemia fed wheat bran without any dietary probiotic supplementation showed significantly higher amylase activity (2.06±0.3μmol maltose mg protein-1 min-1) (p<0.05). Treatment fed Dunaliella salina algae and probiotic showed significantly higher alkaine protease activity (7.11±0.87 U mg protein-1 min-1) and those fed wheat/rice bran with probiotic had significantly higher lipase activity (0.09±0.005 mmol p-nitrophenol mg protein-1 min-1 ) (p<0.05). It was revealed that dietary probiotic inclusion resulted in decreased amylase activity whilst its effect on the alkaline protease and lipase activities were totally dependent upon the feed ingredients (e.g., simultaneous feeding of artemia by Dunaliella salina algae and probiotic led to higher alkaline protease activity, while receiving probiotic resulted in higher lipase activity in group fed wheat/rice bran). Our results also showed that digestive enzyme profile of Artemia franciscana was responsive to dietary treatment. Conclusively, using wheat/rice bran in artemia pond culture would result in inferior digestive enzymes activity especially alkaline protease and lipase with subsequent effects on nutrient digestion/absorption efficiency and undesirable effects on pond productivity and final product quality

Parties, promiscuity and politicisation: business-political networks in Poland

Research on post-communist political economy has begun to focus on the interface between business and politics. It is widely agreed that informal networks rather than business associations dominate this interface, but there has been very little systematic research in this area. The literature tends to assume that a politicised economy entails business-political networks that are structured by parties. Theoretically, this article distinguishes politicisation from party politicisation and argues that the two are unlikely to be found together in a post-communist context. Empirically, elite survey data and qualitative interviews are used to explore networks of businesspeople and politicians in Poland. Substantial evidence is found against the popular idea that Polish politicians have business clienteles clearly separated from each other according to party loyalties. Instead, it is argued that these politicians and businesspeople are promiscuous. Since there seems to be little that is unusual about the Polish case, this conclusion has theoretical, methodological, substantive and policy implications for other post-communist countries

Beneficial effects of Se/Zn co-supplementation on body weight and adipose tissue inflammation in high-fat diet-induced obese rats

This research investigated the effect of co-supplementation of selenium with zinc on weight control and the inflammatory and oxidative status in relation to obesity. Male Wistar rats (N = 32) were randomly divided into four groups after induction of obesity model: 1) �Zn� was supplemented with zinc sulfate (15 mg/kg BW), 2) �Se� supplemented with selenium as sodium selenate (0.5 mg/kg BW), 3) �Zn + Se� which received Zn (15 mg/kg BW) + Se (0.5 mg/kg BW), and 4) �HFD� as the control group. The intervention was done for eight weeks. At the end of treatment, serum and tissue level of Zn, Se, SOD, GSH-Px, MDA, leptin, TNF-α, and IL-6 was evaluated. Weight and food intake were significantly reduced in the Se group(p <.001), while in the Zn group, weight gain due to obesity was prevented compared to the control group (p =.48). There was a significant and stronger increase in SOD, GSH-Px levels and a remarkable decrease in MDA, leptin, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the group receiving the combination of two supplements than either alone(p <.001). Leptin had a positive correlation with inflammatory factors and lipid peroxidation marker and showed an inverse relationship with Zn and Se levels and anti-oxidative enzymes(p <.05). The analysis showed the mediating role of leptin in the effects of zinc. Co-supplementation of selenium and zinc may have a synergistic effect in reduction of oxidative and inflammatory markers. Regarding the effect of zinc on inflammatory factors and lipid peroxidation, leptin can play a mediating role. © 2021 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LL

Wake up, wake up! It's me! It's my life! patient narratives on person-centeredness in the integrated care context: a qualitative study

Person-centered care emphasizes a holistic, humanistic approach that puts patients first, at the center of medical care. Person-centeredness is also considered a core element of integrated care. Yet typologies of integrated care mainly describe how patients fit within integrated services, rather than how services fit into the patient's world. Patient-centeredness has been commonly defined through physician's behaviors aimed at delivering patient-centered care. Yet, it is unclear how 'person-centeredness' is realized in integrated care through the patient voice. We aimed to explore patient narratives of person-centeredness in the integrated care context

Women's Experiences and Views about Costs of Seeking Malaria Chemoprevention and other Antenatal Services: A Qualitative Study from two Districts in Rural Tanzania.

The Tanzanian government recommends women who attend antenatal care (ANC) clinics to accept receiving intermittent preventive treatment against malaria during pregnancy (IPTp) and vouchers for insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) at subsidized prices. Little emphasis has been paid to investigate the ability of pregnant women to access and effectively utilize these services. To describe the experience and perceptions of pregnant women about costs and cost barriers for accessing ANC services with emphasis on IPTp in rural Tanzania. Qualitative data were collected in the districts of Mufindi in Iringa Region and Mkuranga in Coast Region through 1) focus group discussions (FGDs) with pregnant women and mothers to infants and 2) exit-interviews with pregnant women identified at ANC clinics. Data were analyzed manually using qualitative content analysis methodology. FGD participants and interview respondents identified the following key limiting factors for women's use of ANC services: 1) costs in terms of money and time associated with accessing ANC clinics, 2) the presence of more or less official user-fees for some services within the ANC package, and 3) service providers' application of fines, penalties and blame when failing to adhere to service schedules. Interestingly, the time associated with travelling long distances to ANC clinics and ITN retailers and with waiting for services at clinic-level was a major factor of discouragement in the health seeking behaviour of pregnant women because it seriously affected their domestic responsibilities. A variety of resource-related factors were shown to affect the health seeking behaviour of pregnant women in rural Tanzania. Thus, accessibility to ANC services was hampered by direct and indirect costs, travel distances and waiting time. Strengthening of user-fee exemption practices and bringing services closer to the users, for example by promoting community-directed control of selected public health services, including IPTp, are urgently needed measures for increasing equity in health services in Tanzania

A pilot study evaluating the use of ABCD2 score in pre-hospital assessment of patients with suspected transient ischaemic attack: experience and lessons learned

Background: Suspected transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is a common presentation to emergency medical services (EMS) in the United Kingdom (UK). Several EMS systems have adopted the ABCD2 score to aid pre-hospital risk stratification and decision-making on patient disposition, such as direct referral to an Emergency Department or specialist TIA clinic. However, the ABCD2 score, developed for hospital use, has not been validated for use in the pre-hospital context of EMS care. Methods: We conducted a pilot study to assess eligibility criteria, recruitment rates, protocol compliance, consent and follow-up procedures to inform the development of a definitive study to validate the ABCD2 tool in pre-hospital evaluation of patients with suspected TIA. Results: From 1st May–1st September 2013, nine patients with an EMS suspected diagnosis of TIA had the TIA diagnosis later confirmed by a specialist from five participating sites. This recruitment rate is comparable to stroke trials in the EMS setting. Bureaucratic obstacles and duplication of approval processes across participating sites took 13 months to resolve before recruitment commenced. Due to the initial difficulty in recruitment, a substantial amendment was approved to modify inclusion criteria, allowing patients with atrial fibrillation and/or taking anticoagulant therapy to participate in the study. Conclusions: It is possible to identify, recruit and follow up patients with suspected TIA in the EMS setting. Training large numbers of EMS staff is required as exposure to TIA patients is infrequent. Significant insight was gained into the complexity of NHS research governance mechanisms in the UK. This knowledge will facilitate the planning of a future adequately powered study to validate the ABCD2 tool in a pre-hospital setting

Are waiting times for hospital admissions affected by patients' choices and mobility?

Background Waiting times for elective care have been considered a serious problem in many health care systems. A topic of particular concern has been how administrative boundaries act as barriers to efficient patient flows. In Norway, a policy combining patient's choice of hospital and removal of restriction on referrals was introduced in 2001, thereby creating a nationwide competitive referral system for elective hospital treatment. The article aims to analyse if patient choice and an increased opportunity for geographical mobility has reduced waiting times for individual elective patients. Methods A survey conducted among Norwegian somatic patients in 2004 gave information about whether the choice of hospital was made by the individual patient or by others. Survey data was then merged with administrative data on which hospital that actually performed the treatment. The administrative data also gave individual waiting time for hospital admission. Demographics, socio-economic position, and medical need were controlled for to determine the effect of choice and mobility upon waiting time. Several statistical models, including one with instrument variables for choice and mobility, were run. Results Patients who had neither chosen hospital individually nor bypassed the local hospital for other reasons faced the longest waiting times. Next were patients who individually had chosen the local hospital, followed by patients who had not made an individual choice, but had bypassed the local hospital for other reasons. Patients who had made a choice to bypass the local hospitals waited on average 11 weeks less than the first group. Conclusion The analysis indicates that a policy combining increased opportunity for hospital choice with the removal of rules restricting referrals can reduce waiting times for individual elective patients. Results were robust over different model specifications