Enzyme supplementation of commercial feed diluted with copra meal for growing pullets

TWO hundred 42 days old Shaver Star-cross pullets were subjected to five dietary treatments comprising of a commercial pullet feed alone and commercial pullet feed diluted with two levels of copra meal (CM) at two levels ( 200 and 300g/kg) with or without Challenzyme. Data were collected on growth performance (feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio) fora period of 84 days (42-126 days). Results showed no significant difference between supplemented and control groups in growth performance across the dietary treatments at (P > 0.05). Cost of the kg feed was linearly reduced on the dilution diets but feed cost per unit live weight gain was not different among the treatments (P > 0.05). In conclusion, diluting commercial feed with CM up to 300g/kg does not compromise pullet performance during the growing period. These findings will reduce cost of pullet rearing and add value to copra meal in coconut producing regions. There is need for more research into higher rates of dilution, composition of basal diet, enzyme source and inclusion level

Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Spiro-Heterocycle Formation Mechanism: Computational Study

Reaction mechanism among indoline-2,3-dione, pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid and (Z)-2-(1-(2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)ethylidene) hydroxy-carboxamide to form 1'-((((aminooxy)carbonyl)amino)methyl)-2'-(1-hydroxynaphthalen-2-yl)-2'-methyl-1',2',5 ',6',7',7a'-hexahydrospiro[indoline-3,3'-pyrrolo[1,2-a]imidazole-2-one was investigated using density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP level of theory. The three-step reaction occurred via five stationary points, including two van der Waals complexes (1 and 2), two intermediates and one transition state. The entropy change across the various steps indicated an appreciable interaction or overlap within the reacting molecules. This was also evident in variations in the geometries of the optimized species as the reaction progressed from the intermediates through the transition state to the final product. The steps leading to the formation of van der Waals complexes (1 and 2) were thermodynamically feasible in contrast to the bimolecular transition step. From the equilibrium constant value, the transition step was found to be the ratedetermining step. The study is able to provide information on the energetics of the individual step of the reaction and the overall process in addition to change in geometries as the initial reacting molecules transformed through the saddle points to the final product

Focused ultrasound-mediated delivery of anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 antibody to the brain of a porcine model

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has revolutionized cancer treatment by leveraging the body\u27s immune system to combat cancer cells. However, its effectiveness in brain cancer is hindered by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), impeding the delivery of ICIs to brain tumor cells. This study aimed to assess the safety and feasibility of using focused ultrasound combined with microbubble-mediated BBB opening (FUS-BBBO) to facilitate trans-BBB delivery of an ICI, anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 antibody (aPD-L1) to the brain of a large animal model. In a porcine model, FUS sonication of targeted brain regions was performed after intravenous microbubble injection, which was followed by intravenous administration of aPD-L1 labeled with a near-infrared fluorescent dye. The permeability of the BBB was evaluated using contrast-enhanced MRI in vivo, while fluorescence imaging and histological analysis were conducted on ex vivo pig brains. Results showed a significant 4.8-fold increase in MRI contrast-enhancement volume in FUS-targeted regions compared to nontargeted regions. FUS sonication enhanced aPD-L1 delivery by an average of 2.1-fold, according to fluorescence imaging. In vivo MRI and ex vivo staining revealed that the procedure did not cause significant acute tissue damage. These findings demonstrate that FUS-BBBO offers a noninvasive, localized, and safe delivery approach for ICI delivery in a large animal model, showcasing its potential for clinical translation

Health facility-based prevalence and potential risk factors of autism spectrum disorders in Mali

Background: The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is 1-2% worldwide, 1 in 68 in the U.S, and unknown in Africa. ASD is under-diagnosed in Mali due to stigma and the lack of appropriate human resources and infrastructure.Objective: To determine the ASD frequency and potential risk factors in Mali.Methods: We identified all the health facilities and community-based organizations involved in the ASD diagnosis and management in Bamako. We established an ASD research and awareness platform in Mali, which encompasses community-based organizations and a multidisciplinary team including psychiatrists, psychologists, pediatricians, geneticists, and public health and social science specialists. Through this platform, we performed a survey in health facilities and organizations where patients with ASD are likely to seek care in Bamako. We reviewed the psychiatric patient registry to obtain basic epidemiological profiles of children with ASD, epilepsy and other psychiatric disorders.Results: We found a health facility-based prevalence of ASD of 4.5% (105/2,343) in Bamako. The mean age at the first outpatient visit was 7.64 ± 3.85 years old. First degree consanguinity of 29.5% (31/105) was more frequent in parents of ASD children versus age and sex matched controls OR= 4.37 [1.96-9.76] p=0.0001.Conclusion: Our data suggest that ASD is more common than expected in Mali. The established ASD awareness and research platform may improve the diagnosis and management of ASD by raising ASD awareness, training of Malian clinicians and researchers in early ASD screening and diagnosis, and strengthening research capacity in genomics of ASD and other mental disorders.Keywords: ASD, prevalence, consanguinity, health facilit

First Detection of Leishmania major DNA in Sergentomyia (Spelaeomyia) darlingi from Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Foci in Mali

Leishmania major complex is the main causative agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in the Old World. Phlebotomus papatasi and Phlebotomus duboscqi are recognized vectors of L. major complex in Northern and Southern Sahara, respectively. In Mali, ZCL due to L. major is an emerging public health problem, with several cases reported from different parts of the country. The main objective of the present study was to identify the vectors of Leishmania major in the Bandiagara area, in Mali. Methodology/Principal Findings: An entomological survey was carried out in the ZCL foci of Bandiagara area. Sandflies were collected using CDC miniature light traps and sticky papers. In the field, live female Phlebotomine sandflies were identified and examined for the presence of promastigotes. The remaining sandflies were identified morphologically and tested for Leishmania by PCR in the ITS2 gene. The source of blood meal of the engorged females was determined using the cyt-b sequence. Out of the 3,259 collected sandflies, 1,324 were identified morphologically, and consisted of 20 species, of which four belonged to the genus Phlebotomus and 16 to the genus Sergentomyia. Leishmania major DNA was detected by PCR in 7 of the 446 females (1.6%), specifically 2 out of 115 Phlebotomus duboscqi specimens, and 5 from 198 Sergentomyia darlingi specimens. Human DNA was detected in one blood-fed female S. darlingi positive for L. major DNA. Conclusion: Our data suggest the possible involvement of P. duboscqi and potentially S. darlingi in the transmission of ZCL in Mali

Design and methods for a quasi-experimental pilot study to evaluate the impact of dual active ingredient insecticide-treated nets on malaria burden in five regions in sub-Saharan Africa

Background:Vector control tools have contributed significantly to a reduction in malaria burden since 2000, primar‑ily through insecticidal‑treated bed nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying. In the face of increasing insecticide resist‑ance in key malaria vector species, global progress in malaria control has stalled. Innovative tools, such as dual active ingredient (dual‑AI) ITNs that are effective at killing insecticide‑resistant mosquitoes have recently been introduced. However, large‑scale uptake has been slow for several reasons, including higher costs and limited evidence on their incremental effectiveness and cost‑effectiveness. The present report describes the design of several observational studies aimed to determine the effectiveness and cost‑effectiveness of dual‑AI ITNs, compared to standard pyre‑throid‑only ITNs, at reducing malaria transmission across a variety of transmission settings.Methods:Observational pilot studies are ongoing in Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Rwanda, leveraging dual‑AI ITN rollouts nested within the 2019 and 2020 mass distribution campaigns in each country. Enhanced surveil‑lance occurring in select study districts include annual cross‑sectional surveys during peak transmission seasons, monthly entomological surveillance, passive case detection using routine health facility surveillance systems, and studies on human behaviour and ITN use patterns. Data will compare changes in malaria transmission and disease burden in districts receiving dual‑AI ITNs to similar districts receiving standard pyrethroid‑only ITNs over three years. The costs of net distribution will be calculated using the provider perspective including financial and economic costs, and a cost‑effectiveness analysis will assess incremental cost‑effectiveness ratios for Interceptor® G2, Royal Guard®, and piperonyl butoxide ITNs in comparison to standard pyrethroid‑only ITNs, based on incidence rate ratios calcu‑lated from routine data.Conclusions:Evidence of the effectiveness and cost‑effectiveness of the dual‑AI ITNs from these pilot studies will complement evidence from two contemporary cluster randomized control trials, one in Benin and one in Tanzania, to provide key information to malaria control programmes, policymakers, and donors to help guide decision‑making and planning for local malaria control and elimination strategies. Understanding the breadth of contexts where these dual‑AI ITNs are most effective and collecting robust information on factors influencing comparative effectiveness could improve uptake and availability and help maximize their impact

Strengthening and utilizing response groups for emergencies flagship: a narrative review of the roll out process and lessons from the first year of implementation

The World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) faces members who encounter annual disease epidemics and natural disasters that necessitate immediate deployment and a trained health workforce to respond. The gaps in this regard, further exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, led to conceptualizing the Strengthening and Utilizing Response Group for Emergencies (SURGE) flagship in 2021. This study aimed to present the experience of the WHO/AFRO in the stepwise roll-out process and the outcome, as well as to elucidate the lessons learned across the pilot countries throughout the first year of implementation. The details of the roll-out process and outcome were obtained through information and data extraction from planning and operational documents, while further anonymized feedback on various thematic areas was received from stakeholders through key informant interviews with 60 core actors using open-ended questionnaires. In total, 15 out of the 47 countries in WHO/AFRO are currently implementing the initiative, with a total of 1,278 trained and validated African Volunteers Health Corps-Strengthening and Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies (AVoHC-SURGE) members in the first year. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has the highest number (214) of trained AVoHC-SURGE members. The high level of advocacy, the multi-sectoral-disciplinary approach in the selection process, the adoption of the one-health approach, and the uniqueness of the training methodology are among the best practices applauded by the respondents. At the same time, financial constraints were the most reported challenge, with ongoing strategies to resolve them as required. Six countries, namely Botswana, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Togo, have started benefiting from their trained AVoHC-SURGE members locally, while responders from Botswana and Rwanda were deployed internationally to curtail the recent outbreaks of cholera in Malawi and Kenya

Averting biodiversity collapse in tropical forest protected areas

The rapid disruption of tropical forests probably imperils global biodiversity more than any other contemporary phenomenon¹⁻³. With deforestation advancing quickly, protected areas are increasingly becoming final refuges for threatened species and natural ecosystem processes. However, many protected areas in the tropics are themselves vulnerable to human encroachment and other environmental stresses⁴⁻⁹. As pressures mount, it is vital to know whether existing reserves can sustain their biodiversity. A critical constraint in addressing this question has been that data describing a broad array of biodiversity groups have been unavailable for a sufficiently large and representative sample of reserves. Here we present a uniquely comprehensive data set on changes over the past 20 to 30 years in 31 functional groups of species and 21 potential drivers of environmental change, for 60 protected areas stratified across the world’s major tropical regions. Our analysis reveals great variation in reserve ‘health’: about half of all reserves have been effective or performed passably, but the rest are experiencing an erosion of biodiversity that is often alarmingly widespread taxonomically and functionally. Habitat disruption, hunting and forest-product exploitation were the strongest predictors of declining reserve health. Crucially, environmental changes immediately outside reserves seemed nearly as important as those inside in determining their ecological fate, with changes inside reserves strongly mirroring those occurring around them. These findings suggest that tropical protected areas are often intimately linked ecologically to their surrounding habitats, and that a failure to stem broad-scale loss and degradation of such habitats could sharply increase the likelihood of serious biodiversity declines.Keywords: Ecology, Environmental scienc

Maintenance of broiler performance on commercial diets diluted with copra meal and supplemented with feed enzymes

Context: Dilution of commercial feed with moderate levels of copra meal (CM), a byproduct of coconut oil extraction, was shown to maintain broiler performance in older breeds, but reports on its use in modern fast-growing broilers are limited. Aims: We evaluated feed dilution with CM and enzyme supplementation in broiler chickens. We hypothesised that (i) diluting commercial feed with CM will maintain performance of modern fast-growing broilers, and (ii) enzyme supplementation will improve utilisation of the diluted diets. Methods: Experiment 1 studied the performance of growing broilers (10–21 days of age) fed commercial grower diet alone (control), or diluted with one of two levels of CM (50 and 100 g/kg) and with or without enzyme supplementation. Cobb 500 broiler chicks (10 days old), 200 in total, were assigned to five dietary treatments with four replicates, in a completely randomised design. Experiment 2 investigated higher levels of dilution (100 and 200 g CM/kg) and enzyme supplementation of commercial finisher diet in 200 finishing broilers (22–42 days of age) assigned to five treatments with four replicates each. Key results: In Experiment 1, feed intake was reduced (P 0.05) from the control. Bodyweight gain and feed conversion ratio were not affected (P > 0.05) by dietary treatment. In Experiment 2, feed intake was reduced on 200 g CM/kg with enzyme but did not differ (P > 0.05) among the control and other CM-based diets. Bodyweight gain (P 0.05) by diet. The relative weight of carcass and cuts, gut segments and annex organs was not affected (P > 0.05) by diet. Conclusions: Diluting commercial grower and finisher diets with 50 and 100 g CM/kg has no adverse effects on performance of modern broilers. At higher levels of dilution (100 and 200 g/kg), enzyme supplementation may be required. Implications: These findings will reduce the cost of broiler production and add value to CM in coconut-producing regions. We recommend more research into higher rates of dilution, sources of CM, and enzyme sources and levels that might improve performance and reduce cost of production

Challenzyme supplementation of high expeller copra meal in corn - animal protein diets for broilers: growth performance, nutrient digestibility and Carcass Traits

A five-week experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Challenzyme supplementation of expeller copra meal (ECM) fed in corn-animal protein-based diets on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass and gut measurements of broilers. A total of 168, 9 days old Cobb 500 broilers were assigned to 8 diets consisting of 2 controls (with and without enzyme) and 6 other diets consisting 150, 300 and 450 g/kg ECM levels (with and without enzyme), were fed in three replicates of 6 birds each in a completely randomized design. Results showed significant interactions effects on growth parameters and fat digestibility. Feed intake and weight gain were reduced on 300 and 450 g/kg ECM diets (P<0.05). Fat digestibility was improved on control and 300 g/kg ECM diets with enzyme (P<0.05). Carcass measurements were not affected by dietary treatments (P>0.05). In the main effects, feed intake and weight gain were reduced and feed conversion ratio increased with increasing level of ECM above 150 g/kg (P<0.05). Enzyme supplementation improved crude fibre and fat digestibility of broilers (P<0.05). In conclusion, 300 g/kg dietary ECM with enzyme inclusion has no detrimental effects on growth of finishing broilers. More research into enzyme source and concentration above 300 g/kg ECM is recommended