Nitrogen Balance and Soil Nitrates in Suckler Cow Pastures Fertilised with Mineral Fertiliser, Pig Slurry or Cattle Compost

A code of good practice was established by each European member state according to the EU Nitrate Directive. In Belgium, the nitrogen (N) inputs on pastures from slurry or compost are limited to 210 kg N/ha. Bigger quantities can be applied if the farmer follows a programme of additional measurements, including soil nitrate (NO3) analysis. This investigation aimed to measure animal performance, N balance and soil NO3 in pastures fertilised with mineral N, pig slurry or cattle compost, the pastures being grazed by Belgian Blue cows and their calves

Six years survival on imatinib with no disease progression after diagnosis of metastatic duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumour: a case report

Introduction: A duodenal Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour (GIST) is a rare finding and until recently advanced disease had a poor prognosis. A PubMed search revealed no reports of more than five years survival of inoperable GIST on chemotherapy with WHO performance status zero. Case Presentation: A 68 year old female was diagnosed with unresectable GIST in the duodenum with metastasis to liver, pancreas and omentum in November 2001. She was commenced on imatinib mesylate (Glivec) chemotherapy. This case report was prepared from the medical records and radiology reports. She had good tolerance with stable disease. After six years her CT scan showed no disease progression and her WHO performance status was zero. Conclusion: This report supports the view that imatinib is a safe and effective drug in controlling disease progression in advanced metastatic GIST and plays an important role in improving the patient's quality of life

3D freeform surfaces from planar sketches using neural networks

A novel intelligent approach into 3D freeform surface reconstruction from planar sketches is proposed. A multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network is employed to induce 3D freeform surfaces from planar freehand curves. Planar curves were used to represent the boundaries of a freeform surface patch. The curves were varied iteratively and sampled to produce training data to train and test the neural network. The obtained results demonstrate that the network successfully learned the inverse-projection map and correctly inferred the respective surfaces from fresh curves

Phenotypic Characterization According to the Feather Color of Indigenous Muscovy Ducks Bred in the Back Yard in Brazzaville, the Congo

. In Congo, waterfowl genetic resources are constituted by native population of Muscovy ducks that play an important role in food security. The present study aimed to identify and to characterize strains bred in the back yard in the households in Brazzaville. A sample of 154 households drawn over seven districts of Brazzaville was enrolled in the survey. Adults ducks found in the households were identified, pictured by a key of determination and then compared by using the multi resolution analysis image method. The survey recorded 13 strains in which four were considered as newly since they have never been reported elsewhere. These strains received temporally the name of the districts where they have been identified for the first time Makelékélé 1 (0.34%, n=6), Makélékélé 2 (0.11%, n =2), Poto poto 1 (0.28%, n=5) and in Poto poto 2 (0.11%, n=2). Finally, the survey reported nine classical strains such as black plumage, duclair, white, tortora, sepia, chocolate, lavender, grey and canizie. The apparent wide variation in plumage colors is an indication that the duck populations have not been ‘purified' through selective breeding. In the context of the valorization of poultry biodiversity, this work represents a step toward a better knowledge of the production abilities of local ducks breeds in Congo

Postprandial ghrelin suppression is exaggerated following major surgery; implications for nutritional recovery

Meeting patients' nutritional requirements and preventing malnutrition is a challenge following major surgical procedures. The role of ghrelin in nutritional recovery after non-gastrointestinal major surgery is unknown. We used coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) as an example of anticipated good recovery post major surgery

Renal Cell Carcinoma with Angioleiomyoma-Like Stroma and Clear Cell Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma: Exploring SDHB Protein Immunohistochemistry and the Relationship to Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with angioleiomyoma-like stroma appears to be molecularly distinct from clear cell RCC; however, its relationship to clear cell papillary RCC remains debated. Recent studies have found that similar tumors sometimes occur in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), of which one study found unexpectedly negative succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) B immunostaining. We evaluated immunohistochemistry for SDHB in 12 apparently sporadic RCCs with angioleiomyoma-like stroma and correlated with clinical information for stigmata of TSC. Tumors were compared to a group of 16 clear cell papillary RCCs and 6 unclassified tumors with prominent stroma. With exception of 1 unclassified tumor, all exhibited at least focal cytoplasmic staining for SDHB protein, often requiring high magnification and better appreciated with increased antibody concentration. Detailed history information was available for 9/12 patients with smooth muscle-rich tumors, revealing no stigmata of undiagnosed TSC. Electron microscopy performed on 1 of these tumors revealed mitochondria to be very sparse, potentially accounting for the weak immunohistochemical labeling for SDHB protein. Weak SDHB immunostaining may represent another shared feature of RCC with angioleiomyoma-like stroma and clear cell papillary RCC, likely due to sparse mitochondria, strengthening the possible relationship of these entities. Although smooth muscle-rich tumors have been recently reported in patients with TSC, absence of staining in tumors with this pattern may not be specific for TSC. In tumors with pale or clear cytoplasm, immunohistochemical staining for SDHB should be interpreted with caution as evidence of abnormality in the SDH pathway

Patients with mast cell activation symptoms and elevated baseline serum tryptase level have unique bone marrow morphology

Background: Patients with mast cell (MC) activation symptoms and elevated baseline serum tryptase level (MCAS-T) may not necessarily have a clonal MC disorder. Many are diagnosed with hereditary a-tryptasemia (HaT), a genetic trait characterized by autosomal dominant inheritance of multiple copies of TPSAB1 encoding a-tryptase and increased risk for severe anaphylaxis. Objective: The aim of our study was to identify and characterize bone marrow MC histopathologic features specific for MCAS-T. Methods: A total of 43 patients with MCAS-T underwent evaluation, including bone marrow biopsy, for a MC disorder. The results of the work-up for clonal MC disorders such as systemic mastocytosis and monoclonal MC activation syndrome were negative. Bone marrow MC histopathology was reviewed to identify characteristic features of MCAS-T. A subgroup of patients was available for tryptase genotyping. Results: Patients with MCAS-T showed unique morphologic and histologic features when compared with controls. MCs were larger (P < .01), hypogranular (P < .01), frequently detected in paratrabecular (P < .05) and perivascular (P < .01) locations, and associated with bone marrow eosinophilia (P < .01). A total of 10 patients who were available for tryptase genotyping were all confirmed to have HaT. This subgroup was representative of the larger MCAS-T cohort. Conclusion: We report unique bone marrow MC phenotypic and histopathologic changes in patients with MCAS-T. These morphologic changes are associated with an elevated tryptase level that has been confirmed to be caused by HaT in all patients available for testing. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2021;147:1497-501.

Production pastorale et mode d’utilisation des parcours forestiers au niveau du Rif occidental

Extensive livestock farming plays an important socio-economic role for goat farmers in Western Rif. Silvopastoral resources are the main source of feed for herds. Actually, these resources have a strong tendency to degradation. To ensure their sustainability, setting up a monitoring and evaluation system is a necessity. The aim of this study was to assess the pastoral production and the silvopastoral areas use. This work was carried out in two forest rangelands (Ain Rami and Derdara), where dairy goat farming has been dominant for decades. For the floristic study, a total of ninety-six plant species were counted. The chemical composition and nutritional value of pastoral species varied according to the analyzed species. For phytomass, significant differences were noted according to the season and the sites, with a maximum productivity in spring of 2725 and 2465 kg DM per hectare, respectively in Ain Rami and Derdara. The degree of palatability depended mainly on the chemical composition and the season of pastoral species intake. The most grazed rangelands were overgrown by unpalatable species. Management actions of silvopastoral resources use, including a reduction of grazing pressure, should be developed to ensure the productivity and the sustainability of these resources.L’élevage extensif joue un rôle socio-économique très important pour les éleveurs caprins du Rif occidental. Les ressources sylvopastorales constituent la principale source d’alimentation pour le troupeau. Actuellement, ces ressources connaissent une forte tendance à la dégradation. Pour assurer leur durabilité, la mise en place d’un système de suivi-évaluation s’avère une nécessité. L’objectif de cette étude est d’évaluer l’offre pastorale et le mode d’utilisation de ces espaces sylvopastoraux. Ce travail a été mené, au niveau de deux parcours forestiers (Ain Rami et Derdara), où l’élevage des chèvres laitières règne depuis des décennies. Pour l’étude floristique, un total de quatre-vingt-seize espèces végétales a été recensé. La composition chimique et la valeur nutritive varient selon l’espèce pastorale considérée. Pour la phytomasse, des différences significatives ont été relevées en fonction de la saison et des sites de prélèvement, avec un maximum de productivité enregistré au printemps de 2725 kg MS/ha et 2465 kg MS/ha, respectivement à Ain Rami et Derdara. Le degré d’appétibilité dépend essentiellement de la composition chimique et de la saison de prélèvement des espèces pastorales. Les pâturages les plus fréquentés par les caprins sont envahis par des espèces à faible intérêt pastoral. Des actions de gestion du mode d’utilisation des ressources sylvopastorales, incluant une diminution de la pression de pâturage, devraient être mises en place afin d’assurer la productivité et la durabilité de ces ressources