Influence of turmeric (curcuma longa) as feed additive on the performance, serum enzymes and lipid profile of broiler chickens

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with turmeric powder as a natural growth promoter on performance, and serum biochemical profile in broiler chickens. A total of 200 day old broiler chicks (Ross) were allocated to five dietary treatments, with four replicates, having 10 birds per replicate. The dietary treatments consisted of the control diet (T1) with 0% turmeric powder, and then 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%and 1.0%??/100kg of feed with turmeric powder added to T2, T3, T4, and T5 respectively. Results showed that feed intake was not significantly influenced across the treatments (P>0.05). The average weekly weight gain and final weight of the broilers differed significantly (P<0.05) amongst the treatment groups. Turmeric supplementation showed a significant decrease in FCR and in turn improved feed efficiency. The effects of turmeric on Aspartate amino-transferase (AST), Alanine transaminase (ALT), and total cholesterol (TC) increased significantly in the group that received the highest concentration of turmeric. However, this increase is minimal to cause any observable adverse effect. Meanwhile, there was significant increase in low density lipoprotein (LDL) among the group that received 1% (100g) Turmeric/100kg feed. There were no significant increase in serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride. The result of this study therefore, demonstrates that dietary supplementation of turmeric powder should not exceed 1000g/kg feed in broiler production. It was also shown that turmeric addition had a positive influence on feed conversion ratio thereby improving the weight gain in broiler birds. Keywords: Turmeric; Performance; Serum Enzymes; Lipid Profil

Wikipedia as informal self-education for clinical decision-making in medical practice

Background For almost any topic, a Wikipedia page will appear among the first ten items of a search online. Wikipedia is also a site whose quality and reliability has been called into question. Methods In this paper, we aim to discuss medical practitioners’ use of Wikipedia, what this consists of and what it might be. We consider the context and history of Wikipedia before discussing the relationship between Wikipedia and the medical profession. In so doing, we will consider Wikipedia as a means of informal self-education and the extent to which it might inform clinical decision-making. We compare with the existing literature results from our two small-scale empirical studies of Wikipedia and clinical decision-making. Results Notwithstanding issues over quality and reliability, Wikipedia’s rules on verifiability are such that its articles are very heavily referenced, and this is just as true of health-related articles. The Cochrane/Wikipedia Initiative in improving the quality and reliability of medical and health pages in Wikipedia is significant in increasing reliability. Our respondents largely concurred with the results from earlier studies on the use of Wikipedia by medical practitioners. Conclusion Perhaps the very doubt over Wikipedia’s accuracy is its greatest strength as a means of informal education of doctors. That medical and health articles on Wikipedia can be so fully referenced and still be doubted is arguably a good thing and one whose effects may be spread into other, more trusted, publications. Hence, one might envisage a future where no one source is taken automatically on trust. Keywords Wikipedia, informal education, continued professional development, medical education

SEM analysis of ion implanted SiC

SiC is a material used in two future energy production technologies, firstly as a photovoltaic layer to harness the UV spectrum in high efficient power solar cells, and secondly as a diffusion barrier material for radioactive fission products in the fuel elements of the next generation of nuclear power plants. For both applications, there is an interest in the implantation of reactive and non-reactive ions into SiC and their effects on the properties of the SiC. In this study 360 keV Ag+, I+ and Xe+ ions were separately implanted into 6H–SiC and in polycrystalline SiC at various substrate temperatures. The implanted samples were also annealed in vacuum at temperatures ranging from 900 C to 1600 C for various times. In recent years, there had been significant advances in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with the introduction of an in-lens detector combined with field emission electron guns. This allows defects in solids, such as radiation damage created by the implanted ions, to be detected with SEM. Cross-sectional SEM images of 6H–SiC wafers implanted with 360 keV Ag+ ions at room temperature and at 600 C and then vacuum annealed at different temperatures revealed the implanted layers and their thicknesses. A similar result is shown of 360 keV I+ ions implanted at 600 C into 6H–SiC and annealed at 1600 C. The 6H–SiC is not amorphized but remained crystalline when implanting at 600 C. There are differences in the microstructure of 6H–SiC implanted with silver at the two temperatures as well as with reactive iodine ions. Voids (bubbles) are created in the implanted layers into which the precipitation of silver and iodine can occur after annealing of the samples. The crystallinity of the substrate via implantation temperature caused differences in the distribution and size of the voids. Implantation of xenon ions in polycrystalline SiC at 350 C does not amorphize the substrate as is the case with room temperature heavy ion bombardment. Subsequent annealing of the implanted polycrystalline samples leads to increased thermal etching effects such as grain boundary grooving. Damage due to channelling (or non-channelling) in the different crystallites resulted also in differences in thermal etching in the crystallites.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/nimbhb201