3 research outputs found
Effect of supplementation of diets for quails with vitamins A, D and E on performance of the birds and quality and enrichment of eggs
The effect of thyme extract on growth performance, digestive organ weights and serum lipoproteins of broilers fed wheat-based diets
The effect of the thyme extract and wheat form of the diet on performance, digestive organ weights and serum lipoproteins was studied in 320 male day old (ROSS 308) chicks. From 1 to 42 d of age, 8 diets arranged factorial with 4 thyme extract level (0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6%) and 2 wheat forms (ground <em>vs</em> whole) was used. Each treatment was replicated 4 times (10 birds per replicate). Thyme extract had no significant effect on body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio irrespective of wheat form used over whole trial period (1-42 d). From 1 to 21 d of age, broilers fed the whole wheat diet grew faster than the broilers fed ground wheat based diet (609.06 <em>vs</em> 573.34 g). Relative abdominal fat and gizzard weight was significantly higher (P<0.05) in birds fed the whole wheat diets. Two-way interaction between thyme extract and wheat form were observed for total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) in the experiment. The results showed that the extract had no effect on performance of broilers irrespective of wheat form used. Relative gizzard weight was higher (P<0.05) in birds fed the whole wheat diets, but an increase in abdominal fat should be taken into account for carcass quality and processing. The predominant effect of thyme extract on lowering lipid levels in broilers fed on wheat based diets was on triglyceride rather than on cholesterol concentrations
Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules (THYCOVID): a retrospective, international, multicentre, cross-sectional study.
Since its outbreak in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has diverted resources from non-urgent and elective procedures, leading to diagnosis and treatment delays, with an increased number of neoplasms at advanced stages worldwide. The aims of this study were to quantify the reduction in surgical activity for indeterminate thyroid nodules during the COVID-19 pandemic; and to evaluate whether delays in surgery led to an increased occurrence of aggressive tumours.
In this retrospective, international, cross-sectional study, centres were invited to participate in June 22, 2022; each centre joining the study was asked to provide data from medical records on all surgical thyroidectomies consecutively performed from Jan 1, 2019, to Dec 31, 2021. Patients with indeterminate thyroid nodules were divided into three groups according to when they underwent surgery: from Jan 1, 2019, to Feb 29, 2020 (global prepandemic phase), from March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021 (pandemic escalation phase), and from June 1 to Dec 31, 2021 (pandemic decrease phase). The main outcomes were, for each phase, the number of surgeries for indeterminate thyroid nodules, and in patients with a postoperative diagnosis of thyroid cancers, the occurrence of tumours larger than 10 mm, extrathyroidal extension, lymph node metastases, vascular invasion, distant metastases, and tumours at high risk of structural disease recurrence. Univariate analysis was used to compare the probability of aggressive thyroid features between the first and third study phases. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05178186.
Data from 157 centres (n=49 countries) on 87 467 patients who underwent surgery for benign and malignant thyroid disease were collected, of whom 22 974 patients (18 052 [78路6%] female patients and 4922 [21路4%] male patients) received surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules. We observed a significant reduction in surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules during the pandemic escalation phase (median monthly surgeries per centre, 1路4 [IQR 0路6-3路4]) compared with the prepandemic phase (2路0 [0路9-3路7]; p<0路0001) and pandemic decrease phase (2路3 [1路0-5路0]; p<0路0001). Compared with the prepandemic phase, in the pandemic decrease phase we observed an increased occurrence of thyroid tumours larger than 10 mm (2554 [69路0%] of 3704 vs 1515 [71路5%] of 2119; OR 1路1 [95% CI 1路0-1路3]; p=0路042), lymph node metastases (343 [9路3%] vs 264 [12路5%]; OR 1路4 [1路2-1路7]; p=0路0001), and tumours at high risk of structural disease recurrence (203 [5路7%] of 3584 vs 155 [7路7%] of 2006; OR 1路4 [1路1-1路7]; p=0路0039).
Our study suggests that the reduction in surgical activity for indeterminate thyroid nodules during the COVID-19 pandemic period could have led to an increased occurrence of aggressive thyroid tumours. However, other compelling hypotheses, including increased selection of patients with aggressive malignancies during this period, should be considered. We suggest that surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules should no longer be postponed even in future instances of pandemic escalation.
None