Nutrient digestibility and egg production of laying hens fed graded levels of biodegraded palm kernel meal

A 20-week feeding trial involving 72 Isa brown-laying birds, in a completely randomized design, evaluated the nutrient digestibility and egg production of layers fed diets containing biodegraded palm kernel meal (PKM) at dietary levels of 20 per cent undegraded and 20, 30 and 40 per cent biodegraded PKM, respectively. Biodegradation slightly improved proximate and detergent fibre components compared to the undegraded sample. Among the fibre fractions, hemicellulose was most degraded, whereas acid detergent lignin was least. Proximate component digestibility was similar among the diets except at 40 per cent levels. With the detergent fibre component, increasing the level of the biodegraded PKM caused a significant difference (

How many people will need palliative care in Scotland by 2040? A mixed-method study of projected palliative care need and recommendations for service delivery.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate future palliative care need and complexity of need in Scotland, and to identify priorities for future service delivery. DESIGN: We estimated the prevalence of palliative care need by analysing the proportion of deaths from defined chronic progressive illnesses. We described linear projections up to 2040 using national death registry data and official mortality forecasts. An expert consultation and subsequent online consensus survey generated recommendations on meeting future palliative care need. SETTING: Scotland, population of 5.4 million. PARTICIPANTS: All decedents in Scotland over 11 years (2007 to 2017). The consultation had 34 participants; 24 completed the consensus survey. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: Estimates of past and future palliative care need in Scotland from 2007 up to 2040. Multimorbidity was operationalised as two or more registered causes of death from different disease groups (cancer, organ failure, dementia, other). Consultation and survey data were analysed descriptively. RESULTS: We project that by 2040, the number of people requiring palliative care will increase by at least 14%; and by 20% if we factor in multimorbidity. The number of people dying from multiple diseases associated with different disease groups is projected to increase from 27% of all deaths in 2017 to 43% by 2040. To address increased need and complexity, experts prioritised sustained investment in a national digital platform, roll-out of integrated electronic health and social care records; and approaches that remain person-centred. CONCLUSIONS: By 2040 more people in Scotland are projected to die with palliative care needs, and the complexity of need will increase markedly. Service delivery models must adapt to serve growing demand and complexity associated with dying from multiple diseases from different disease groups. We need sustained investment in secure, accessible, integrated and person-centred health and social care digital systems, to improve care coordination and optimise palliative care for people across care settings.Marie Curie small gran

Patterns of Passage into protected areas: drivers and outcomes of Fulani immigration, settlement and integration into the Kachia Grazing Reserve, Northwest Nigeria

Abstract Increasing land use and associated competition for natural resources in the wake of high human and livestock population pressures have been major challenges confronting pastoralists of West Africa. This is especially true in Nigeria where Fulani make up 4% of the national population and prevailing national insecurity issues are impacting on pastoral livelihoods, including violent conflicts over land and ethnic, religious and political disparities. This study examined the dynamics of immigration within the Kachia Grazing Reserve (KGR), an exclusively Fulani pastoralist community in Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria, prompted by concerns from both the farming communities and the authorities about mounting pressure on existing limited resources, particularly in regard to availability of cattle grazing resources. Drawing from a household census conducted in 2011 and employing a range of qualitative methods (focus group discussions and key informant interviews), this study explored the drivers and consequences of immigration and subsequent integration within the KGR community. The study revealed two types of immigration: a steady trickle of pastoralists migrating to the reserve to settle and acquire land, secure from the stresses of competition from cultivators, and the sudden influx of internally displaced persons fleeing violent clashes in their areas of origin. Population pressure within the reserve has risen steadily over the past three decades, such that it is severely overgrazed (as evidenced by reports from the KGR community that the animals run short of pasture even during the wet season due to desertification and the spread of non-edible weeds). The newer immigrants, fleeing conflict, tended to arrive in the reserve with significantly larger herds than those kept by established residents. Pastoralists in the reserve have been forced back into the practice of seasonal transhumance in both wet and dry seasons to support their herds, with all the attendant risks of theft, clashes with cultivators and increased disease transmission

Studies on a-Se/n-Si and a-Te/n-Si Heterojunctions

Heterojunctions are fabricated by depositing amorphous selenium (a-Se) and amorphous tellurium (a-Te) films on n-type single (n-Si) wafers by the method of vacuum evaporation. The silicon wafers have surface orientation of (111). Resistivity of each silicon wafer is 5Ω-cm and carrier concentration of 8.30 x 1014cm-3. Two of the junction devices are annealed in a vacuum for half an hour. Current-voltage measurements are made at room temperature (298K). Rectification properties are observed in all the junctions. Barrier heights of a-Se/n-Si junctions are higher than a-Te/n-Si junctions. The current density in annealed junctions is lower than in as-deposited (unannealed) counterpart. @JASE

Proximate composition and tannin content of some multipurpose tree leaves

Leaves from tree legumes Enterolobium cyclocarpum (EC), Pterocarpus santalonoides (Ps), Gliricidia sepium (Gs), Leucaena leucocephala (LL) and Senna sIamea (Ss) were analysed for ash, crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), Ether entract (EE) neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and tannins. The ash (7.85 0.22 10.11 0.10), CP (10.07 0.11 26.27 0.30), CF(8.16 0.15 14.76 0.68), EE(2.21 1.47 8.41 0.34), NDF(49.24 0.08 66.51 0.46) and ADF(27.84 0.15 45.66 0.49) of the tree leaves varied between plants. Ash content of P. santolonoides (7.85 0.22) was least while that of E. cyclocarpum was highest (10.11 0.10). L. leucocephala had the highest CP(26.27 0.30) and S. siamea (10.07 0.11) the least. However, CF content was highest in S. siamea (22.80 0.53) and least in P. santalonoides (8.16 0.15). The contents of tannin in E. cyclocapum, P. santalonoides, G. sepium, L. leucocephale and S.siamea were 0.254 0.005mg/g, 0.388 0.016 mg/g, 0.485 0.023mg/g, 0.267 0.013mg/g and 0.607 0.06, respectively. The results suggest that the tree legumes have potential as supplements. Also, the trace amounts of tannins (0.254 0.005 0.607 0.06) detected are less than suggested amounts (30 mg/g) that can adversely affect their nutritive value. Key words Trees, Chemical composition, anti-nutrients and tannins [Global Jnl Agric Res Vol.1(2) 2002: 77-82

Effect of Low Protein-Methionine-and-Lysine-Supplemented Diets on Performance, Immune Response and Carcass Characteristics in Broilers

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of supplementing low CP diets with methionine and lysine on broiler performance, carcass measure and their immune response against Infectious Bursa Disease (IBD) virus. In Experiment 1, ten diets were formulated. Diet 1 (control diet) contained 23.0% CP and 0.6% methionine. The remaining 9 test diets were formulated to contain 20, 17 and 14% CP each with 0.6, 1.0 and 1.4% methionine in a 3x3 factorial arrangement. Three hundred and twenty 1-d-old broiler chicks were weighed and randomly allocated to the 10 diets with four replicates and eight birds each. In Experiment 2, 10 diets were also formulated. Diet 1 (control diet) contained 23% CP and 1.2% lysine. The rest 9 diets were similar to those in Experiment 1 but lysine was used to supplement the CP at levels 1.2, 1.6 and 2.0% inclusion. One hundred and sixty 1-d-old broiler chicks were weighed and randomly allocated into the 10 diets with four replicates of four birds each. In Experiment 1, Body Weight Gain (BWG), Feed Intake (FI) and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) in control and 20% CP diet with 1.0 methionine were similar. Dressed weight, weights of thigh, breast, and drum stick in the control and 1.0% methionine diets were similar There was no effect of methionine, CP or their interaction on the antibody titre against IBD. In Experiment 2, increasing lysine and decreasing CP significantly (P<0.01) reduced BWG and FI, but 1.6% lysine had similar effect on FCR as the control diet. There was no effect of lysine, CP or their interaction on the antibody titre against IBD virus. Results suggest that supplementation of broiler diets of CP less than 23% with 1.0% methionine and 1.6% lysine resulted in similar performance as control diet and the bird’s immune response against IBD virus was not compromised.Keywords: Immune response, Ideal methionine to lysine ratio, Performance indices, Antibodies, Carcass characteristics

Effect of glycine equivalent levels in low protein diet containing different SID threonine concentrations on performance, serum metabolites and muscle creatine of broiler chickens

This study was conducted to evaluate glycine equivalent (Glyequi) requirement in low crude protein (CP) diets with different levels of standardised ileal digestible (SID) threonine (Thr) on performance, serum metabolites, and muscle creatine of broiler chickens from 1 to 21 d age. A total of 1275 one-day-old male Cobb-Vantress chicks were distributed in a completely randomised 3 × 5 factorial arrangement for a total of 15 treatments with 5 replicates of 17 birds each. Diets were formulated to comprise three dietary SID of Thr concentrations 6.9, 8.1 and 9.3 g/kg and five dietary Glyequi levels (12.8, 14.3, 15.8, 17.3 and 18.8 g/kg). An interaction (p < 0.05) was observed between the Glyequi and SID Thr levels for feed:gain and serum uric acid (SUA). With increasing levels of Glyequi, feed:gain decreased linearly (p < 0.05) in 6.9 and 8.1 g/kg SID Thr diets while SUA decreased linearly (p < 0.05) in 6.9 g/kg SID Thr diet. In diet containing 9.3 g/kg SID Thr, increasing Glyequi level optimised feed:gain (p = 0.04) at an estimated minimum level of 15.5 g/kg. Glyequi levels resulted in a quadratic effect (P < 0.05) on BWG, feed:gain, muscle creatine with optimum point of 17.2, 16.7, 17.1 g/kg, respectively. Therefore, minimum requirement of Glyequi in low CP (174.0 g/kg) diet needed to optimised performance is 15.5 g/kg in 9.3 g/kg SID Thr diet, but could be or higher than 20.9 g/kg in 6.9 g/kg and 8.1 g/kg SID Thr diets for broilers.Highlights Feeding a low-protein diet of 174 g/kg with adequate Thr concentration at higher Glyequi levels could support performance in broilers of 1–21 d old. Provision of 15.5 g/kg Glyequi in low CP diet containing 9.3 g/kg SID Thr level is required to improve performance. Sufficient supply of dietary Thr concentration represents a sparing effect of Gly especially at marginal levels of dietary Glyequi in low-CP diets