The efficacy of plant based diets on growth potential, energy utilization, nutrient digestibility, leg bone development and litter quality of meat chickens

Both plant and animal ingredients are used commonly to formulate balanced diets for poultry. Although many changes have been occurred in the genetics, nutrition and feeding of modern meat chickens, free selection and indiscriminate uses of feedstuffs for the non-ruminant animal diets can be hazardous due to the emerging threat of diseases outbreak via animal by-products. Besides this, many other concerns of including animal ingredients in poultry diets such as high price, zoonotic effects, ban on uses, food safety and product quality etc., encourage the poultry integrators to use merely vegetable feedstuffs for diet formulation excluding animal by-products. Exclusive use of plant ingredients into poultry diets might offer potential beneficial effects for optimizing poultry products. Poultry industry may be benefitted by using these cheap sources of vegetable ingredients for quality, safe and organic meat production. After all, most poultry integrators are looking for alternative ways to streamline production. This is why, currently the search for and the appropriate use of vegetable ingredients demand more research to explore their potential uses in poultry diets including other farm animals. However, despite the advantages of using vegetable feedstuffs in poultry diets, there are some associated problems that can affect the performance of meat chickens. So our current study is focused on to review these limitations of meat chickens fed vegetable-based diet, which include productivity, feed utilization and nutrient digestibility, leg bone health and litter quality of meat chickens

Rhabdomyolysis in an HIV cohort: epidemiology, causes and outcomes.

BackgroundThe Literature on rhabdomyolysis in the HIV-positive population is sparse and limited. We aimed to explore the incidence, patient characteristics, etiologies and outcomes of rhabdomyolysis in a cohort of HIV-positive patients identified through the Johns Hopkins HIV clinical registry between June 1992 and April 2014.MethodsA retrospective analysis of 362 HIV-positive patients with non-cardiac CK elevation ≥1000 IU/L was performed. Both inpatients and outpatients were included. Incidence rate and potential etiologies for rhabdomyolysis were ascertained. The development of acute kidney injury (AKI, defined as doubling of serum creatinine), need for dialysis, and death in the setting of rhabdomyolysis were determined. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of peak CK level with the development of AKI.ResultsThree hundred sixty two cases of rhabdomyolysis were identified in a cohort of 7079 patients with a 38,382 person years follow-up time. The incidence rate was nine cases per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 8.5-10.5). Infection was the most common etiology followed by compression injury and drug/alcohol use. One-third of cases had multiple potential etiologies. AKI developed in 46% of cases; 20% of which required dialysis. Thirteen percent died during follow-up. After adjustment, AKI was associated with higher CK (OR 2.05 for each 1-log increase in CK [95% CI: 1.40-2.99]), infection (OR 5.48 [95% CI 2.65-11.31]) and higher HIV viral load (OR 1.22 per 1-log increase [95% CI: 1.03-1.45]).ConclusionRhabdomyolysis in the HIV-positive population has many possible causes and is frequently multifactorial. HIV-positive individuals with rhabdomyolysis have a high risk of AKI and mortality

Carbon Nanomaterials Based Supercapacitors: Recent Trends

The increasing demand for renewable energy sources worldwide and the predicted depletion of current fossil fuel sources need continuous energy storage and conversion technology development. The use of supercapacitors (SC) as electrical energy storage devices in consumer electronics items and alternative power sources is an interesting and potentially lucrative area of application. Therefore, continuous developments are conducted to improve SC performance using different composites and nanocomposites. Carbon materials in SC are among the most important uses of this material. This chapter provides a short communication on recent progress in supercapacitor-based carbon materials. Various fundamental carbon allotropes were presented and debated, including fullerene, carbon nanotubes, and graphene-based supercapacitors

Developing Framework to Optimize the Preparation of (EOT) Claims Using Integration of (LPS) and (BIM) Techniques in Construction Projects

Construction projects face delays and disturbances that could be caused by one of the contracting parties, both of them, or beyond their control. Proving the delay needs a significant effort to introduce all details, documents, and records which explain the causes of the delays. The contractor needs to submit a claim, whether it is extension of time (EOT) claim or any claim with an adequate definition, causation, liabilities, analysis of delays to get an extension of time-related to the risk event. Claims preparation processes need to be collected and documented daily throughout the project phases, especially during construction phases. Lean Construction, with its common technique, the last planner system (LPS), and building information modeling (BIM) have significant synergies and can bring benefits when implemented together to support the preparation of the extension of time (EOT) claim. Building information modeling used as a digital platform to facilitate communication between the project team, improve project performance, and implement the last planner system (LPS) phases effectively. (LPS) is enhancing the coordination within the project team. The primary purpose of the research is to develop Framework to Optimize the preparation of extension of time (EOT) Claims Using Integration of the last planner system (LPS) and building information modeling (BIM) Techniques in Construction Projects. The integration will represent in implementation of the appropriate (BIM) functionalities along with the five phases of the last planner system (LPS). As a result of the integration, the inputs and outputs well documented, which considered as the primary support to the processes preparation of the extension of time (EOT) claim. Also, The framework supported by process flowchart to clarify outputs, inputs, and the project team's responsibility, Which will contribute to optimizing the preparation of the extension of time (EOT) claims

Efficacy of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Suppression of Hepatocarcinorigenesis in Rats: Possible Role of Wnt Signaling

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The present study was conducted to evaluate the tumor suppressive effects of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in an experimental hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model in rats and to investigate the possible role of Wnt signaling in hepato-carcinogenesis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Ninety rats were included in the study and were divided equally into: Control group, rats which received MSCs only, rats which received MSCs vehicle only, HCC group induced by diethylnitroseamine (DENA) and CCl_<b>4</b>, rats which received MSCs after HCC induction, rats which received MSCs before HCC induction. Histopathological examination and gene expression of Wnt signaling target genes by real time, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in rat liver tissue, in addition to serum levels of ALT, AST and alpha fetoprotein were performed in all groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Histopathological examination of liver tissue from animals which received DENA-CCl₄only, revealed the presence of anaplastic carcinoma cells and macro-regenerative nodules type II with foci of large and small cell dysplasia. Administration of MSCs into rats after induction of experimental HCC improved the histopathological picture which showed minimal liver cell damage, reversible changes, areas of cell drop out filled with stem cells. Gene expression in rat liver tissue demonstrated that MSCs downregulated <it>β-catenin</it>, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (<it>PCNA</it>), <it>cyclin D </it>and <it>survivin </it>genes expression in liver tissues after HCC induction. Amelioration of the liver status after administration of MSCs has been inferred by the significant decrease of ALT, AST and Alpha fetoprotein serum levels. Administration of MSCs before HCC induction did not show any tumor suppressive or protective effect.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Administration of MSCs in chemically induced HCC has tumor suppressive effects as evidenced by down regulation of Wnt signaling target genes concerned with antiapoptosis, mitogenesis, cell proliferation and cell cycle regulation, with subsequent amelioration of liver histopathological picture and liver function.</p

Morphometric study of the lumbosacral spine and some of its related angles in Lebanese adult females

The present study was undertaken to examine the morphometric characteristics of lumbar vertebrae, lumbar intervertebral discs and some important related angles in Lebanese adult females. The subjects of this study were thirty Lebanese adult females aged between 18-22 years. The subjects were selected among students of the faculty of health sciences, Beirut Arab University. Two plain radiographic views for the lumbosacral spine were taken for each subject, an anteroposterior view and a lateral view. Measurements were made directly on the X-ray films using Vernier calliper and were recorded to the nearest tenth of a millimetre. The following measurements were taken for each lumbar vertebra: the anterior height of the body, the posterior height of the body, the horizontal diameter of the pedicle, the vertical diameter of the pedicle, the interpedicular distance, the width (transverse diameter) of the body. Also the anterior height, the posterior height and the anteroposterior diameter (disc depth) of the intervertebral disc were measured. In addition, the following angles were measured: the angle of lumbar lordosis, the lumbosacral angle and the angle of sacral inclination. The mean and standard deviation were calculated and recorded. The results offer a base line reference for normal Lebanese adult females and a guidance to clinicians for the evaluation and management of subjects complaining of low back pain, in order to propose specific preventive or rehabilitation protocols to prevent low back pain as a function of spinal alignment. Moreover, these normal figures could also be of forensic importance because of the observed racial, ethnic and regional variations

Difficult Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy and Trainees: Predictors and Results in an Academic Teaching Hospital

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is one of the first laparoscopic procedures performed by surgical trainees. This study aims to determine preoperative and/or intraoperative predictors of difficult LC and to compare complications of LC performed by trainees with that performed by trained surgeons. A cohort of 180 consecutive patients with cholelithiasis who underwent LC was analyzed. We used univariate and binary logistic regression analyses to predict factors associated with difficult LC. We compared the rate of complications of LCs performed by trainees and that performed by trained surgeons using Pearson’s chi-square test. Patients with impacted stone in the neck of the gallbladder (GB) (OR, 5.0; 95% CI, 1.59–15.77), with adhesions in the Triangle of Calot (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.27–6.83), or with GB rupture (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.02–11.41) were more likely to experience difficult LC. There was no difference between trainees and trained surgeons in the rate of cystic artery injury (p=.144) or GB rupture (p=.097). However, operative time of LCs performed by trained surgeons was significantly shorter (median, 45 min; IQR, 30–70 min) compared with the surgical trainees’ operative time (60 min; IQR, 50–90 min). Surgical trainees can perform difficult LC safely under supervision with no increase in complications albeit with mild increase in operative time