Coconut water prevents renal and hepatic changes in offspring of monosodium glutamate-treated Wistar rat dams

Summary: Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a widely-consumed taste enhancer which has been implicated in the aetiology of renal and hepatic dysfunction in adults and their offspring. There is increasing evidence on the therapeutic properties of Coconut Water (CW) in kidney and liver disorders. This study investigated the effects of CW on renal and hepatic functions in offspring of MSG-fed dams. Twelve female Wistar rats (120 – 140 g) were grouped into four as follows; Control (10 ml/Kg distilled water), MSG (0.08 mg/Kg), CW (10 ml/Kg) and MSG+CW. Treatments were given orally daily commencing two weeks prior to mating, throughout mating and gestation until parturition. All dams received standard rodent diet and drinking water ad libitum throughout the study. After weaning on Post-Natal Day (PND) 28, serum was obtained from offspring for assay of liver and renal function. Histological analysis of the livers and kidneys were performed on both dams and offspring. There was no significant difference in liver enzymes, urea, creatinine and albumin levels amongst the offspring on PND 28. However, liver and kidney sections from MSG dams and their offspring showed early degenerative changes which were not evident in renal and hepatic tissues from CW and MSG+CW dams and offspring. These observations suggest that coconut water protects against monosodium glutamate-induced renal and hepatic dysfunction in dams and offspring.Keywords: Monosodium glutamate, Cocos nucifera water, Foetal programming, Kidney, Live

TEKNOLOGI BIOGAS DENGAN BAHAN BAKU BERSUMBER DARI LIMBAH SAPI

Teknologi biogas saat ini sudah dikembangkan oleh masyarakat pedesaan. Teknologi biogas bermanfaat dalam meminimalkan pencemaran lingkungan. Teknologi biogas telah dikembangkan di pedesaan dengan memanfaatkan limbah kotoran ternak sapi. Permasalahannya sejauhmana teknologi biogas dimanfaatkan oleh masyarakat pedesaan. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan tujuan mengetahui pemanfaatan kotoran sapi dan manfaat biogas bagi masyarakat pedesaan Kabupaten Bolaang Mongondow Utara. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode survei, dengan pendekatan PRA dan studi kasus. Data yang dikumpulkan adalah data primer dan sekunder. Penentuan lokasi Kecamatan dan Desa sampel adalah secara purposive sampling. Kecamatan yang dipilih adalah Kecamatan Sangkub yang memiliki populasi sapi terbanyak. Desa yang dipilih adalah Desa Sidodadi dan Tombolango yang memiliki kelompok petani yang telah memanfaatkan biogas bersumber dari kotoran sapi. Responden ditentukan secara purposive sampling yaitu petani yang memanfaatkan biogas, pejabat Dinas Pertanian Peternakan dan penyuluh. Analisis data menggunakan analisis deskriptif. Teknologi biogas diintroduksi bagi petani yang memiliki ternak sapi yang dikandangkan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa jumlah ternak sapi milik petani dalam kelompok Beringin Jaya berjumlah 6 ekor dan kelompok Keong Mas 24 ekor. Limbah ternak sapi bila tidak diminimalkan memberikan dampak negatif terhadap pencemaran lingkungan. Reaktor dibangun untuk menampung limbah kotoran sapi dan menghasilkan gas. Biogas bersumber dari limbah sapi telah dihasilkan dan dimanfaatkan oleh petani peternak. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dapat disimpulkan bahwa teknologi biogas bermanfaat bagi petani dalam minimalisasi biaya pembelian gas LPG dan menghasilkan pupuk cair. Saran, perlu sosialisasi dan intervensi pemerintah untuk introduksi biogas bagi petani yang lain.Kata Kunci : teknologi, biogas, limbah, ternak sapiBIOGAS TECHNOLOGY WITH RAW MATERIALS SOURCED FROM CATTLE WASTECurrently, biogas technology has been developed by rural communities. Biogas technology was useful in minimizing environmental pollution. Biogas technology was developed in rural areas by utilizing cattle waste. The problem was the extent to which biogas technology was used by rural communities. This study was conducted with the aim of knowing the use of cattle waste and the benefits of biogas for rural communities in North Bolaang Mongondow Regency. The research method used was a survey method, with the PRA approach and case studies. The data collected were primary and secondary data. The determination of the locations of the sample districts and villages was purposive sampling. The district chosen was Sangkub District which had the largest cattle population. The villages chosen were Sidodadi and Tombolango which had groups of farmers who have used biogas from cattle waste. Respondents were determined by purposive sampling, namely farmers who use biogas, officials from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and extension workers. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Biogas technology was introduced for farmers who had cattles that were penned. The results showed that the number of cattles belonging to farmers in the Beringin Jaya group was 6 cows and 24 cows in the Keong Mas group. If not minimized, cattle waste had a negative impact on environmental pollution. The biogas reactor was built to accommodate cattle waste and produce gas. Biogas with raw materials sourced from cow waste was produced and utilized by farmers. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that biogas technology was beneficial for farmers in minimizing the cost of purchasing LPG gas and producing liquid fertilizer. Suggestions, socialization and government intervention was needed for the introduction of biogas for other farmers.Keywords: technology, biogas, waste, cattl

Dealing with the Inventory Risk. A solution to the market making problem

Market makers continuously set bid and ask quotes for the stocks they have under consideration. Hence they face a complex optimization problem in which their return, based on the bid-ask spread they quote and the frequency at which they indeed provide liquidity, is challenged by the price risk they bear due to their inventory. In this paper, we consider a stochastic control problem similar to the one introduced by Ho and Stoll and formalized mathematically by Avellaneda and Stoikov. The market is modeled using a reference price $S_t$ following a Brownian motion with standard deviation $\sigma$, arrival rates of buy or sell liquidity-consuming orders depend on the distance to the reference price $S_t$ and a market maker maximizes the expected utility of its P&L over a finite time horizon. We show that the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations associated to the stochastic optimal control problem can be transformed into a system of linear ordinary differential equations and we solve the market making problem under inventory constraints. We also shed light on the asymptotic behavior of the optimal quotes and propose closed-form approximations based on a spectral characterization of the optimal quotes

Trade uncertainty and the two-step procedure: The choice of numeraire and exact indexation

In a small open economy it is optimal to first maximize national income and second choose the best consumption point. The same two-step procedure under (quantitative) uncertainty is suboptimal if one of the goods is used as numéraire. Optimality is restored however, if nominal prices are deflated by the exact price index. Hence there is equivalence between the appropriate two-step procedure and the introduction of a stock market under uncertainty (Diamond 1967) under ideal circumstances

Living at the edge of an interface area in Zimbabwe : cattle owners, commodity chain and health workers’ awareness, perceptions and practices on zoonoses

BACKGROUND : In the great Limpopo transfrontier conservation area (GLTFCA), there is an increased interface between wildlife and domestic animals, because rural households move their cattle into the game park in search of grazing and watering resources. This creates opportunities for inter-species transmission of infectious diseases, including zoonoses like brucellosis and tuberculosis, which may also pose a health risk to the local rural communities. This study investigated the awareness, perceptions and practices on zoonoses amongst rural cattle owners, commodity chain- and health-workers in three different localities around Gonarezhou National Park (GNP), Zimbabwe, where the interface between wild and domestic animals varies. METHODS : A cross-sectional study was conducted in Malipati, Chikombedzi and Chiredzi that are considered to be high-, medium- and low-domestic animal-wildlife interface areas, respectively. Data was collected from cattle owners, commodity chain and health-workers using a semi-structured questionnaire. To determine the public health risk of food-borne zoonoses, their practices with regard to meat and milk consumptions, and measures they take to prevent exposure to infections were assessed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and principal component analysis. RESULTS : Most respondents (52.8 %, 102/193) were cattle owners, followed by health (30.1 %, 58/193) and lastly commodity chain workers (17.1 %, 33/193). Overall 67.4 % (130/193) of the respondents were aware of zoonoses with respective 48, 81.8, and 93.1 % of cattle owners, commodity chain, and health workers, being aware. Significantly more cattle owners (P < 0.05) from medium and low interface areas were aware of zoonoses compared to those from high interface areas. All categories of respondents cited anthrax (69.2 %), rabies (57.7 %), tuberculosis (41.5 %) and brucellosis (23.9 %) as important zoonoses. About half (46.1 %; 89/193) of the respondents perceive wildlife as important reservoirs of zoonoses. High proportions 98.4 % (190/193) and 96.4 % (186/193) of the respondents indicated that they consume meat and milk, respectively. Access to game meat and milk from informal markets was closely associated with consumption of raw meat and milk. CONCLUSIONS : Fewer cattle owners from a high interface area of Malipati are aware of zoonoses compared to other areas due to combined effects of limited education and other factors disadvantaging these marginalised areas. This may increase their risk of exposure to zoonoses, considering that consumption of raw meat and milk is common. Thus, awareness campaigns may reduce the public health impact of zoonoses at the interface.This work was conducted within the framework of the Research Platform “Production and Conservation in Partnership (RP-PCP).The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the French Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe (RP-PCP grants) for which the principal investigator (B.M. Gadaga) was a recipient.http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealtham2016Production Animal Studie

Efficacy of a topically administered combination of emodepside and praziquantel against mature and immature Ancylostoma tubaeforme in domestic cats

This paper reports the efficacy of emodepside/praziquantel spot¿on (Profender®, Bayer AG, Leverkusen, Germany), a novel broadspectrum anthelmintic for dermal application, against L4 larvae and immature adult and adult stages of Ancylostoma tubaeforme in cats. The formulation contains 2.14% (w/w) emodepside and 8.58% (w/v) praziquantel, with emodepside being active against gastrointestinal nematodes and praziquantel against cestodes. Five randomized, blinded and controlled laboratory studies demonstrated 100% efficacy of emodepside/praziquantel spot¿on against mature A. tubaeforme and an efficacy of >95% and >97%, respectively, against L4 larvae and immature adults (based on worm counts after necropsy) at approximately the minimum proposed dose rate in cats of 3.0 mg emodepside and 12.0 mg praziquantel/kg body weight. No adverse reactions to the treatment were observed. It is concluded that emodepside/praziquantel spot¿on is an effective and safe treatment against infections with mature and immature A. tubaeforme. Emodepside/praziquantel spot¿on will considerably facilitate the treatment of cats against nematodes and cestodes compared with orally administered preparation

Fracture in the Elderly Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation (FEMuR):study protocol for a phase II randomised feasibility study of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation package following hip fracture [ ISRCTN22464643 ]

Background Proximal femoral fracture is a common, major health problem in old age resulting in loss of functional independence and a high-cost burden on society, with estimated health and social care costs of £2.3 billion per year in the UK. Rehabilitation has the potential to maximise functional recovery and maintain independent living, but evidence of effectiveness is lacking. Usual rehabilitation care is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team in the hospital and in the community. An ‘enhanced rehabilitation’ intervention has been developed consisting of a workbook, goal-setting diary and extra therapy sessions, designed to improve self-efficacy and increase the amount and quality of the practice of physical exercise and activities of daily living. Methods/design This paper describes the design of a phase II study comprising an anonymous cohort of all proximal femoral fracture patients admitted to the three acute hospitals in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board over a 6-month period with a randomised feasibility study comparing the enhanced rehabilitation intervention with usual care. These will assess the feasibility of a future definitive randomised controlled trial and concurrent economic evaluation in terms of recruitment, retention, outcome measure completion, compliance with the intervention and fidelity of delivery, health service use data, willingness to be randomised and effect size for a future sample size calculation. Focus groups will provide qualitative data to contribute to the assessment of the acceptability of the intervention amongst patients, carers and rehabilitation professionals and the feasibility of delivering the planned intervention. The primary outcome measure is function assessed by the Barthel Index. Secondary outcomes measure the ability to perform activities of daily living, anxiety and depression, potential mediators of outcomes such as hip pain, self-efficacy and fear of falling, health utility, health service use, objectively assessed physical function and adverse events. Participants’ preference for rehabilitation services will be assessed in a discrete choice experiment. Discussion Phase II studies are an opportunity to not only assess the feasibility of trial methods but also to compare different methods of outcome measurement and novel methods of obtaining health service use data from routinely collected patient information. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN22464643, UKCRN16677

Occurrence of 30 trace elements in foods from a multi-centre Sub-Saharan Africa Total Diet Study: Focus on Al, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb

International audienceThis paper reports occurrence data related to 30 trace elements in food composite samples from a multi-regional Sub-Saharan Africa Total Diet Study. Herein, 2700 samples grouped in 225 food composite samples corresponding to 13 food groups: cereals, tubers, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds, meat, eggs, fish, milk/dairy, oil/fats, and beverages from eight locations in four countries, namely Benin (Littoral/Borgou), Cameroon (Duala/North), Mali (Bamako/Sikasso), and Nigeria (Lagos/Kano) were prepared as consumed, pooled, and analysed using a validated method based on inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The occurrence data for Al, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb as regulated by the Codex Alimentarius are discussed herein. Although the levels of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb were above the limit of quantification, they were below the maximum limits set by the Codex in most samples analysed. A distinct feature was observed for cereals and tubers, as they were mostly contaminated with Al and Pb. A pilot study regarding the impact of using artisanal cookware (made from recycled aluminium) on the contamination of food samples was performed. Relevant contamination with Al and Pb when cooking tomato samples from Cameroon and Nigeria using artisanal aluminium cookware was compared to that when cooked using stainless-steel

Mass‐loading the Earth's dayside magnetopause boundary layer and its effect on magnetic reconnection

When the interplanetary magnetic field is northward for a period of time, O+ from the high‐latitude ionosphere escapes along reconnected magnetic field lines into the dayside magnetopause boundary layer. Dual‐lobe reconnection closes these field lines, which traps O+ and mass loads the boundary layer. This O+ is an additional source of magnetospheric plasma that interacts with magnetosheath plasma through magnetic reconnection. This mass loading and interaction is illustrated through analysis of a magnetopause crossing by the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft. While in the O+‐rich boundary layer, the interplanetary magnetic field turns southward. As the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft cross the high‐shear magnetopause, reconnection signatures are observed. While the reconnection rate is likely reduced by the mass loading, reconnection is not suppressed at the magnetopause. The high‐latitude dayside ionosphere is therefore a source of magnetospheric ions that contributes often to transient reduction in the reconnection rate at the dayside magnetopause.publishedVersio