Selective amino acid supplementation of practical rations based on blood and feather meals for growing chickens

Amino acid supplementation of practical-type rations containing relatively high levels of blood and feather meals, and its effect on broiler chicks\u27 performance were investigated. In experiment 1, four diets were tested: a corn-soybean meal diet and diets containing 10% ring-dried blood meal, 6% hydrolyzed feather meal and a combination of the two. Diets were supplemented with the deficient amino acids. Results showed no significant differences among the four diet treatments with respect to weight gain or feed efficiency of chicks from 1 to 4 weeks of age. In experiment 2, further assessment of amino acid addition to blood-feather meal diets was done. Methionine was added to the basal diet at 0 or 0.21%, lysine at 0 or 0.2% and isoleucine at 0 or 0.33% in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. Growth and feed efficiency of chicks fed the blood-feather meal basal diet were improved by the addition of 0.21% methionine or 0.33% isoleucine. These parameters reached maximums when both methionine and isoleucine were added. Lysine addition at 0.2% had no significant effect on weight gain or feed efficiency. Experiment 3 was conducted to test higher levels of supplemental methionine and isoleucine in blood-feather meal diets. Methionine and isoleucine were added to the basal diet at 0, 0.2 and 0.4% in a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement. The addition of 0.2% methionine improved weight gain and feed efficiency, but 0.4% supplemental methionine resulted in no further improvement. Addition of 0.2% isoleucine improved weight gain and feed efficiency, but 0.4% isoleucine reduced weight gain and feed efficiency. Addition of methionine (the first limiting amino acid) and isoleucine (the second limiting amino acid) reduced the high levels of plasma leucine in chicks fed the basal diet (2.4 to 2.5%);Two additional experiments were conducted to test the effect of sulfur amino acid supplementation to blood-feather meal diets. In the first experiment methionine and cystine were added to the basal diet (0.3% methionine and 0.48% cystine) at 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4% and 0 and 0.1%, respectively, in a 2 x 5 factorial arrangement. A corn-soy based diet was used as a positive control diet. In a second experiment 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4% supplemental methionine and 0, 0.1 and 0.2% supplemental cystine were added to a milo, blood-feather meal basal diet (0.2% methionine and 0.48% cystine) in a 3 x 5 factorial arrangement. In the first experiment, 0.2% added methionine or 0.1% added cystine improved weight gain and feed efficiency of chicks fed the blood-feather meal diet. In the second experiment, weight gain increased linearly with increasing level of methionine. Maximum weight gain and feed efficiency, however, were observed when 0.1 or 0.2% supplemental cystine were added with 0.4% methionine, and then declined with higher levels of methionine supplementation. Plasma methionine-cystine concentrations in both experiments showed no evidence of a cystine-methionine antagonism

Design an Interactive System for Construction the Cold Rolling Line

التمدد الحراري للمادة المدرفلة هو المتغير الأساسي لتغيير الابعاد الرئيسية للمادة اثناء عملية التشغيل. ان تسخين المادة يؤدي الى تليين المادة كي تكون قابلة للتشغيل والتشكيل النهائي. ان شرائط الألومنيوم المدرفلة على البارد يتم تغييرها نتيجة التأثير الحراري الى البعد المطلوب، ان شرائط الدرفلة على البارد عند تعرضها الى درجة حرارية اقل من الدرجة الحرارية الحرجة يكون تغييرها اسرع بدون فقدان أي خاصية من الخصائص الميكانيكية، ولكن بسبب معامل الاحتكاك العالي بين المادة واسطوانة الدرفلة فان المادة تتعرض الى اجهادات ضغطية عالية خلال مراحل التشغيل وصولاً الى المنتج النهائي. المنتج النهائي يتميز بسطح تشغيلي جيد ومواصفات ميكانيكية مقبولة كذلك. الدرفلة على البارد تحاول الحفاظ على الابعاد الحقيقية للمنتج المطلوب. نحن صممنا موديلاً رياضياً يتضمن كافة المتغيرات التشغيلية للحصول على المنتج النهائي بكفاءة جيدة، لذا وبوساطة استخدام هذا النموذج تم تحسين الخواص الميكانيكية بجودة عالية بمفقودات بعدية بسيطة من خلال جدولة المتغيرات الأساسية للحصول على الإنتاج المثالي لخط الدرفلة على الباردThermal expansion of rolled material can threaten the mechanical dimensions if they are heated, this heat can softening the metal. Aluminum cold rolling strips are reduced to tight mechanical tolerances. Strips below the critical temperature run faster without loss any properties of metal. Due to friction between metal and rolls, metals suffer high compressive stresses through operation until the final product. Products of cold rolling are with high surface finishing and good mechanical properties. Cold rolling assist to close product dimensions. We are modeling the cold rolling mill by studying all factors affected and relations between them, so we improved the mill productivity with high quality and low loss scrap for products. We are also scheduling the cold rolling process to reach the optimal throughput

Frequency and clinical variants of specific dermatoses in third trimester of pregnancy: a study from a tertiary care centre

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of patients with dermatoses in the third trimester of pregnancy and to identify various clinical types of dermatoses in the third trimester. METHODS: The study was carried out at the Department of Dermatology and the Department of Gynaecology & Obstetrics, PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi, from January 2 to July 1, 2008. Two hundred pregnant women in their third trimester were included in the study. The diagnosis was based on history, clinical examination and relevant investigations. Patients with physiological dermatoses and dermatoses which flare up during pregnancy were excluded. A comprehensive pro-forma was used to evaluate different dermatoses. Skin biopsy for histopathology was also done where necessary. RESULTS: The age of the study population ranged from 17 to 36 years (mean = 27.3 +/- 4.86). Five (2.5%) patients had prurigo of pregnancy, 4 (2%) had dermatoses associated with Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP), 3 (1.5%) patients had polymorphic eruption of pregnancy, and 1 (0.5%) patient had pruritic folliculitis of pregnancy. No case of pemphigoidgestationis was observed. CONCLUSION: In the study, 6.5% patients presented with specific dermatoses. Prurigo of pregnancy was the commonest condition. Polymorphic eruption of pregnancy was more common in primigravida, while dermatoses with intrahepatic cholestasis was seen more often in multigravida

The utility of ultrasound in the preoperative localization of primary hyperparathyroidism: Insights from Pakistan

Objective: We aimed to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of ultrasound (US) and 99m-Tc sestamibi scintigraphy for the preoperative localization of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT).Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, and comprised the data of patients with PHPT who underwent parathyroidectomy from 2008 to 2017. Preoperative US and 99m-Tc sestamibi scintigraphy findings were recorded and compared to surgical and histological findings, which were taken as a reference standard.Results: The sensitivity of US in the preoperative localization of PHPT was 88.3%, positive predictive value (PPV) was 94.6%, and accuracy was 84.1%. The sensitivity of 99m-Tc sestamibi scintigraphy was 90.4%, PPV was 94.3%, and accuracy was 85.7%.Conclusion: US neck is an efficient tool for the preoperative localization of PHPT, demonstrating a comparable diagnostic yield with 99m-Tc sestamibi, and can serve as a credible first-line imaging modality in a resource-constrained healthcare setup

Connection between the South and East Asian Monsoons: Comparing Summer Monsoon Rainfall of Pakistan and South Korea

This study investigates the tele-connection of the southeast Asian monsoon systems by comparing the summer monsoon (June to September) rainfall variability between Pakistan and south Korea. The daily data sets (19812014) of rainfall of Pakistan and south Korea are utilized to explore the possible link. The data products of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) were also used for the understanding of the large-scale atmospheric environments. The patterns of summer monsoon rainfall on a daily basis between Pakistan and south Korea followed to each other throughout the year. Sub-seasonal differences of the summer monsoon revealed that July is the wettest month in both countries. The large-scale atmospheric environment of higher geopotential height revealed that the Tibetan high and the western north Pacific subtropical high are showing positive anomalies during positive phases over south Asia and east Asia, respectively. The anomalies of zonal wind are negative during positive phase and adverse in the negative phase between 20-40oN. The reduced westerly is interpreted as the seasonal variation and moving of jet streams from the east Asian route. The Tibetan high, northwestern Pacific subtropical high and the east Asian jet stream have reliable and sufficient linkage between the Pakistan and south Korea summer monsoon system

Seasonal and Regional Variations in Rainfall Distribution Over the Punjab-Pakistan

The purpose of present study is to investigate district and division wise annual rainfall variations over theprovince of Punjab, which is the largest in terms of population size as well important contributor in agricultural producein Pakistan. The results revealed that the rainfall trend has shifted from upper and lower Punjab towards the south,west, north and east respectively. The statistical analysis has inferred an overall increasing trend for the period 1990 to2000 and a decreasing trend during period 2001 to 2010 in Punjab province. The Z test value differences in the averagerainfall for each district level meteorological station have detected three increasing and two decreasing trends duringsummers of 1981-2015.The data revealed a significant changed seasonal trend observed in Murree and Sialkot(northern Punjab), Faisalabad and Lahore (central Punjab). Particularly, the changes have been observed in the southPunjab and over the central Punjab, while the same rainfall variations have shown a southward shift. The trend of therainfall had shifted in the Faisalabad division with the significant positive trend. In the Central Punjab, the positivetrend has also been found in all the districts. In the lower Punjab, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan districts has shown anincreasing trend of rainfall. The findings are significant in changing agro-climatic zones in the Punjab and consequentshifting patterns of agriculture therefore can have net impact on the food security situation in the Punjab-Pakistan

Hajdu cheney syndrome due to NOTCH2 defect - First case report from Pakistan and review of literature

Introduction and importance: Hajdu Cheney Syndrome (HCS) is a rare skeletal disease characterized by severe, progressive focal bone loss with osteoporosis, variable craniofacial, vertebral anomalies and distinctive facial features. It is inherited as an autosomal dominant disease although sporadic cases have been described in literature. Identifying these cases in clinical practice is important for proper diagnosis and management.Case presentation: We report a case of a 36-year-old male patient presented at metabolic bone disease clinic at the Aga Khan University Hospital with history of multiple fragility fractures and juvenile osteoporosis since childhood. DNA sequence analysis of the NOTCH2 coding sequence revealed a pathogenic variant in NOTCH 2, Exon 34, c.6426_6427insTT (p.Glu2143Leufs*5), consistent with a NOTCH2 related conditions including HCS.Clinical discussion: The multitude of presentations associated with HCS are linked to the NOTCH2 gene, as Notch signaling is one of the core signaling pathways that control embryonic development. Hence, mutations in the Notch signaling pathway cause developmental phenotypes that affect various organs including the liver, skeleton, heart, eye, face, kidney, and vasculature.Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, nucleotide mutations of c.6933delT, c.6854delA, c.6787C.T, and c.6424-6427delTCTG were all determined to be novel, with c.6428T \u3e C being the most common mutation found in literature. The c.6426_6427insTT mutation our patient was found to have via gene sequencing too appears to be a novel mutation, which has not previously been reported in literature

Non-compliance to social distancing during COVID-19 pandemic: A comparative cross-sectional study between the developed and developing countries

Background: Despite mass vaccination campaigns, the world has seen a steady rise in the number of SARS-CoV-2 cases, with 178,765,626 cases and 3,869,994 COVID-19 related deaths by June 19th, 2021. Therefore, it is important to enforce social distancing to control its spread. With the variation observed in the severity of the pandemic in different countries, it is also imperative to study the social distancing behaviors amongst the population in developed and developing countries. Design and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 384 participants from 14 different countries were surveyed via an online REDCap form. Results: In this study, it was highlighted that despite adequate knowledge, the overall compliance to COVID-19 related preventive measures remains poor, the lowest being in the senior age group (≥ 65 years), and the highest being in adults aged between 25-64 years (p-value =0.003). Population from the developing countries were more compliant to all preventative measures against COVID-19 spread, except for handwashing, where the difference between the two populations remained insignificant (p-value = 0.038, \u3c0.001, 0.016). Socioeconomic status, prior history of COVID-19 infection, or presence of comorbidities did not significantly affect compliance rates, however, participants with no prior history of this infection were found to be more compliant to donning a mask in public as compared to those with a positive history (p-value = 0.044). Conclusions: Since compliance remains subpar in both the developing and the developed countries, mass campaigns about COVID-19 related preventive measures remain essential in controlling the disease spread

A nationwide virtual research education program for medical students in Pakistan: Methodological framework, feasibility testing, and outcomes

Introduction: Equipping young medical trainees with fundamental research skills can be a promising strategy to address the need for professionals who can understand and responsibly communicate evolving scientific evidence during a pandemic. Despite an ardent interest to partake in research, most educational institutions in Pakistan and other low-middle income countries have not yet adopted a comprehensive strategy for research skills education. The authors aimed to design and assess the feasibility of implementing the first nation-wide virtual research workshop for medical students in Pakistan. Methods: The course Beginners Guide to Research, designed as a nation-wide virtual research workshop series, was conducted for medical students across Pakistan in June 2020. Four interactive live workshops took place online on alternate days from June 22nd, 2020, to June 27th, 2020, each lasting 1-2 h. Outcomes included: (i) reach, (ii) efficacy as indexed by pre-post change in score pertaining to knowledge and application of research and (iii) self-rated perceptions about understanding of research on a Likert scale. Results: 3,862 participants enrolled from 41 cities and 123 institutions. Enrolled participants belonged to the following provinces: Sindh (n = 1,852, 48.0%), Punjab (n = 1,767, 45.8%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (n = 109, 2.8%), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (n = 84, 2.2%) Balochistan (n = 42, 1.1%). We also saw a few registrations from international students (n = 8, 0.2%). Mean (SD) age of enrolled medical students was 21.1 (2.1) years, 2,453 (63.5%) participants were female and 2,394 (62.0%) were from private-sector medical colleges. Two thousand ninety-three participants participants filled out all four pre-test and post-test forms. The total median knowledge score improved from 39.7 to 60.3% with the highest improvements in concepts of research bioethics and literature search (p \u3c 0.001) with greater change for females compared to males (+20.6 vs. +16.2%, p \u3c 0.001) and private institutions compared to public ones (+16.2 vs. +22.1%, p \u3c 0.001). Conclusion: The overwhelming enrollment and significant improvement in learning outcomes (\u3e50% of baseline) indicate feasibility of a medical student-led research course during a pandemic, highlighting its role in catering to the research needs in the LMICs