Effects of roxazyme-G on growth indices and haematological variables of broilers fed maize offal-based diets

Influence of roxazyme–G on the utilization of maize offal was investigated using 420 broiler chicks and 210 (5-week old) growing broilers at starter and finisher phases, respectively. A basal diet that met the nutrient requirement for each phase was formulated and used for the trial. Basal diet meant for starter phase contained 529 g kg-1 maize while basal diet for finisher phase contained 569 g kg-1 maize. For each phase, 25% or 50% maize component of each basal diet were replaced with maize offal. Thereafter, the maize offal-based diets were divided into 3 equal parts and designated diets 2, 3 and 4 for diets in which its 25% maize component was replaced with maize offal and diets 5,6 and 7 for those with their 50% maize components replaced with maize offal. Roxazyme-G was added to the diets at levels of 100, 200 and 300 mg kg-1 in diets 2 & 5, 3 & 6 and 4 &7, respectively. The birds were fed their respective diets for 21 days. At the close of the starter (2-4 weeks of age) and finisher (5-8 weeks of age) phases 10 chicks and 10 chickens per replicate, respectively were sacrificed conventionally and their blood collected for blood analysis. Of the growth indices measured only the final weight of chicks was significantly (P≤0.05) influenced by the dietary treatment. The entire haematological indices measured were not significantly (P≥0.05) influenced by dietary treatment in both starter and finisher birds. At starter phase, the optimum level of maize offal inclusion could be achieved at 132.3 g kg-1 + 200 mg kg-1 roxazyme–G while 142.3 g kg-1 maize offal + 200 mg kg-1 roxazyme-G was for finishers. Conclusively, the use of maize offal and roxazyme -G at these optimal levels could lead to more of maize offal being included in broiler diets in tropical countries.Keywords: Finisher, maize offal, starter, roxazyme-

Growth Performance and Bio-Economics of Growing Pigs Fed Diets Containing Separately Fermented and Unfermented Cassava Tuber Wastes

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the performance, haematology, nutrient digestibility and economics of production of growing pigs fed diets containing differently fermented cassava starch residue (CSR) and cassava peels (CP) altogether referred to as cassava tuber wastes (CTW). The CSR and CP were each divided into three parts and processed as dry unfermented (UFCRS Diet 2; UFCP Diet 5), naturally fermented (NFCSR Diet 3; NFCP Diet 6) and microbial fermentation by inoculation (MFCSR Diet 4; MFCP Diet 7). Each part was included in a control diet (Diet 1) to replace maize at 20% dietary level to make a total of seven treatments. The final live weight (FLW), total live weight gain (TLG) and total feed consumption (TFC) of pigs fed the control diet were not significantly (p>0.05) different from those fed the test diets. However, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) of pigs fed the control was consistently lower (3.93) than those fed CSR (3.68-3.30) and CP (3.75-3.36)-based diets. The response of RBC, WBC, Hb and PCV to the dietary treatment varied significantly (p<0.05) with the CTW-product incorporated into the diets vizs: RBC 106/mm3: 7.53 vs CSR (5.71-6.26) and CP (4.71-5.75); WBC 103/mm3:14.84 vs CSR (9.06-10.06) and CP (8.53-10.90), and PCV%: 36.75 vs CSR (35.75-36.00) and CP (32.5-37.00) while the MCHC and differential counts were not significantly (P>0.05) affected. Varied effects on the digestibility of major ingredients in the diets were observed with the digestibility of dry matter (DM) been enhanced: 0.49-8.68% and 3.10-7.48%, organic matter (OM): 1.60-9.37% and 3.41-8.43%, crude protein: 3.33-6.17% and 1.18-4.10%, and crude fibre (CF): 24.37-30.52% and 2.34-28.80% by CSR and CP, respectively, over the control diet. The Mean Apparent Digestibility (MAD) for NFE (CSR 65.07%; CP 69.33%) was higher than that of the control diet (61.49%). The cost of feed intake per pig decreased: 11.92-12.76% and 8.38-14.95%, cost of feed per kg body weight gain: 14.84-22.66% and 14.84-21.88% with enhanced gross profit increase of 19.66-29.02% and 14.37-26.50% in CSR- and CP-based diets, respectively. It can, therefore, be concluded that CTW products could be included in pig’s diet as an alternative to maize.Key words: Bio-economics, cassava wastes, performance, pig

Evaluation of anaesthetic effects of aqueous bark extract of Tephrosia vogelii on an African catfish Heterobranchus longifilis post junveniles val. (pisces: 1840) as a tranquilizer

This work was designed to investigate the potency of aqueous bark extract of Tephrosia vogelii as a tranquilizer on eterobranchus longifilis, the concentration at which the fish is completely tranquilized and the recovery time of the extract. Fresh samples of T. vogelii bark were collected, air-dried under a shade for 21 days and oven-dried at 60oC for 3–4 hours to constant weight. The dried samples were pulverized using an electric kitchen blender and stored in air tight bottles for subsequent use. Parts of the dried samples of T. vogelii bark were used to carry out phytochemical analysis to determine their chemical constituents. The bark was extracted in aqueous medium for the purpose of this experiment. The result of the sedation of Heterobranchus longifilis with the aqueous bark extract of Tephrosia vogelii showed that all H. Longifilis juveniles injected with the aqueous bark extracts were tranquilized up to anaesthetic stage 3 (light sedation). None of the experimental fish was able to enter anaesthetic stage 4 (deep) anaesthesia. The aqueous bark extract was found to have a significantly shorter (P<0.05) induction time of 52.33 seconds with a short recovery time of 125.33 minutes at concentration 0.01g/l at anaesthetic stage 3 depicting that the aqueous bark extract of T. vogelii has the high potency of a tranquilizer. Keywords: Heterobranchus longifilis, Aqueous Leaf Extracts, Anaesthetic, Tephrosia Vogelii, Tranquilize

Nutritive evaluation of Telfairia occidentalis leaf protein concentrate in infant foods

Leaf meal (LM), leaf proteins concentrate (LPC) and LPC residues from Telfairia occidentalis were produced, chemically characterized and the protein quality of the LPC evaluated using rats. Five infant weaning foods were formulated using varying combinations of T. occidentalis LPC and soybean meal. These foods were compared with three coded commercial infant weaning foods (CFF, CFN and CFC) currently in trade in a 28-day performance study. Though fractionation increased crude protein in LPC by 34.8%, the amino acid values were in most cases lower than the FAO/WHO/UNU recommendation. Fractionation led to increase in the gross energy by 22.0% and decrease in the phytate and tannin contents by 60 and 81.3%, respectively in LPC. The LPC, when fed as sole protein source, led to weight loss in rats. The highest final weight was observed in rats fed 100% LPC + 0% soybean meal-basedfood (105.4 ± 16.4 g) and least in CFN (50.0 ± 4.2 g), a commercial food. The formulated foods had significant (

Delusional patterns and its pre-morbid personality linkages in Nigeria psychotic patients that attended a community psychiatric rehabilitation centre in Anambra State Nigeria between 2011 -2013

AbstractThe study was on the evaluation of the prevalence of delusional types and their correlations with pre-morbid personalities in psychotic patients that  attended a Community Rehabilitation Centre in Anambra State Nigeria.  Forty participants (27 males and 13 females, age range: 22 – 51 years) were used for the study. DSM IVTR, psychological tests: MMPI, SCL-90R  and clinical observations were used for the diagnosis of the patients  according to the centre policy. Two recording scales designed by the  researchers were used to assign the participants to different types of delusions and pre-morbid personalities. The study design was a  longitudinal survey of special population. Descriptive form of statistics and pearson product moment correlation statistics were used in data analysis. The findings showed that some delusional disorders were more prevalent than others (eg., Delusions of reference, control, persecution and spiritual attack) and the delusion of persecution were more in females than in  males. Similarly pre-morbid personalities of obedience, gentility, loving, responsible, loner and quiet were more prevalent than others in the  participants. Furthermore significant correlations of delusion types and  pre-morbid personalities were also found as well as correlation within the delusion types. Discussions of the study were on the need to increase research as to explain the mechanisms that brought about the findingsand the import of examining gender differences in psychotic delusional behaviours. The need for clinicians to consider the correlations of delusions and premorbid personalities will help in improving treatment of psychotic disorders in Nigeria.Key words: Delusional types, premorbid personalities, psychotic disorders,Rehabilitation centr

Multiple component interventions for preventing falls and fall-related injuries among older people: systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Limited attention has been paid in the literature to multiple component fall prevention interventions that comprise two or more fixed combinations of fall prevention interventions that are not individually tailored following a risk assessment. The study objective was to determine the effect of multiple component interventions on fall rates, number of fallers and fall-related injuries among older people and to establish effect sizes of particular intervention combinations. METHODS: Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Cochrane, AMED, UK Clinical Research Network Study Portfolio, Current Controlled Trials register and Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials register were systematically searched to August 2013 for randomised controlled trials targeting those aged 60 years and older with any medical condition or in any setting that compared multiple component interventions with no intervention, placebo or usual clinical care on the outcomes reported falls, number that fall or fall-related injuries. Included studies were appraised using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Estimates of fall rate ratio and risk ratio were pooled across studies using random effects meta-analysis. Data synthesis took place in 2013. RESULTS: Eighteen papers reporting 17 trials were included (5034 participants). There was a reduction in the number of people that fell (pooled risk ratio = 0.85, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.80 to 0.91) and the fall rate (pooled rate ratio = 0.80, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.89) in favour of multiple component interventions when compared with controls. There was a small amount of statistical heterogeneity (I(2) =20%) across studies for fall rate and no heterogeneity across studies examining number of people that fell. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials found evidence that multiple component interventions that are not tailored to individually assessed risk factors are effective at reducing both the number of people that fall and the fall rate. This approach should be considered as a service delivery option.National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) for the South West Peninsul

Synthesis and characterization of a novel organic nitrate NDHP: Role of xanthine oxidoreductase-mediated nitric oxide formation

In this report, we describe the synthesis and characterization of 1,3-bis(hexyloxy)propan-2-yl nitrate (NDHP), a novel organic mono nitrate. Using purified xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), chemiluminescence and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, we found that XOR catalyzes nitric oxide (NO) generation from NDHP under anaerobic conditions, and that thiols are not involved or required in this process. Further mechanistic studies revealed that NDHP could be reduced to NO at both the FAD and the molybdenum sites of XOR, but that the FAD site required an unoccupied molybdenum site. Conversely, the molybdenum site was able to reduce NDHP independently of an active FAD site. Moreover, using isolated vessels in a myograph, we demonstrate that NDHP dilates pre-constricted mesenteric arteries from rats and mice. These effects were diminished when XOR was blocked using the selective inhibitor febuxostat. Finally, we demonstrate that NDHP, in contrast to glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), is not subject to development of tolerance in isolated mesenteric arteries.</p

Topological Crystalline Insulators in the SnTe Material Class

Topological crystalline insulators are new states of matter in which the topological nature of electronic structures arises from crystal symmetries. Here we predict the first material realization of topological crystalline insulator in the semiconductor SnTe, by identifying its nonzero topological index. We predict that as a manifestation of this nontrivial topology, SnTe has metallic surface states with an even number of Dirac cones on high-symmetry crystal surfaces such as {001}, {110} and {111}. These surface states form a new type of high-mobility chiral electron gas, which is robust against disorder and topologically protected by reflection symmetry of the crystal with respect to {110} mirror plane. Breaking this mirror symmetry via elastic strain engineering or applying an in-plane magnetic field can open up a continuously tunable band gap on the surface, which may lead to wide-ranging applications in thermoelectrics, infrared detection, and tunable electronics. Closely related semiconductors PbTe and PbSe also become topological crystalline insulators after band inversion by pressure, strain and alloying.Comment: submitted on Feb. 10, 2012; to appear in Nature Communications; 5 pages, 4 figure

Multilevel Deconstruction of the In Vivo Behavior of Looped DNA-Protein Complexes

Protein-DNA complexes with loops play a fundamental role in a wide variety of cellular processes, ranging from the regulation of DNA transcription to telomere maintenance. As ubiquitous as they are, their precise in vivo properties and their integration into the cellular function still remain largely unexplored. Here, we present a multilevel approach that efficiently connects in both directions molecular properties with cell physiology and use it to characterize the molecular properties of the looped DNA-lac repressor complex while functioning in vivo. The properties we uncover include the presence of two representative conformations of the complex, the stabilization of one conformation by DNA architectural proteins, and precise values of the underlying twisting elastic constants and bending free energies. Incorporation of all this molecular information into gene-regulation models reveals an unprecedented versatility of looped DNA-protein complexes at shaping the properties of gene expression.Comment: Open Access article available at http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.000035