Small intestinal mucosal cells in piglets fed with probiotic and zinc: a qualitative and quantitative microanatomical study

Background: Probiotics and zinc are commonly used and beneficial in pig production. This work aimed to assess the effects of probiotic and zinc on the mucosal cells of the small intestine in respect to digestive capacity and immunity in pre- and post-weaned piglets.Materials and methods: Eighteen Large White Yorkshire piglets were divided equally into control and treatment groups. The piglets were maintained in standard management conditions and were weaned at 28 days of age. The treatment group of piglets fed a mixture of probiotics orally at 1.25 × 109 CFU/day and zinc at 2000 ppm/day from birth to 10 days of age. At three different age-groups viz. day 20 (pre-weaning) and, day 30 and day 60 (post-weaning), the animals were sacrificed. For histomorphology, the tissue samples were processed and stained with Mayer’s haematoxylin and eosin for routine study, combined periodic acid-Schiff-Alcian blue for mucopolysaccharides and Masson-Hamperl argentaffin technique for argentaffin cells. The stained slides were observed under the microscope. The samples were processed as per the standard procedure for scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The statistical analysis of the data using the appropriate statistical tests was also conducted.Results: The mucosal epithelium of villi and crypts were lined by enterocytes, goblet cells, argentaffin cells, microfold (M-cell) cells, tuft cells and intraepithelial lymphocytes. The multipotent stem cells were located at the crypt base. The length of the enterocyte microvilli was significantly longer (p < 0.05) in the treatment group of piglets. The number of different types of goblet cells and argentaffin cells was more in treated piglets irrespective of segments of intestine and age. The intraepithelial lymphocytes were located in apical, nuclear and basal positions in the lining epithelium of both villus tip and base with their significant increase in the treatment group of piglets. The transmission electron microscopy revealed the frequent occurrence of tuft cells in the lining mucosa of the small intestine in treated piglets.Conclusions: Dietary supplementation of probiotic and zinc induced the number of different mucosal cells of villi and crypts in the small intestine that might suggest the greater absorptive capacity of nutrients and effective immunity in critical pre and post-weaned piglets

Performance Analysis of Non-linear Jacketed CSTR Based on Different Control Strategies

This paper aims at finding the optimum controller for a jacketed Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) under non-ideal conditions. Various conventional control methods show poor response for non-linear processes. This paper outlines the design procedure of the Internal Model Controller (IMC) and Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC). The performance of the jacketed CSTR process is analyzed based on Internal Model Control and adaptive control. Simulation results have been compared with conventional PID contro

Serial study of clinical and CT changes in tuberculous meningitis

Clinical and radiological changes in tuberculous meningitis (TBM) have been reported but there is paucity of comprehensive serial clinicoradiological follow-up. In this prospective hospital based study, we investigated serial changes in the clinical and radiological findings and their relationships over 6 months in 31 consecutive patients with TBM, diagnosed on the basis of clinical, radiological and spinal fluid criteria. We graded the severity of the TBM as I-III. Detailed clinical examination, contrast-enhanced CT and activities of daily living (ADL) assessments were made on admission, and 3 and 6 months after therapy. Further CT was carried out as required. Patients received four-drug antituberculous therapy (RHZE) and underwent a ventriculoperitoneal shunt if necessary. Outcome was defined as poor, partial or complete recovery using the Barthel index score at 6 months. The age of the patients was 6-80 years, mean 35.2 years; four were children and 13 female. Meningitis was stage I in 5, stage II in six and stage III in 20 patients. Focal weakness was present in nine, papilloedema in six and ophthalmoplegia in ten. There were ten patients who deteriorated within first 6 weeks of therapy. Mean Glasgow coma score (GCS) deteriorated from 12.5 to 11.4; the grade of meningitis increased by two stages in one patient, one stage in another, and motor deficits appeared in four and optic atrophy in four; four patients required shunt surgery. By 3 months most patients were stable. At 6 months 17 patients had complete, four partial and nine poor recovery. Initial CT was abnormal in 28 patients, revealing hydrocephalus and exudates in 15 each, infarcts in ten and tuberculomas in 13. It was repeated in ten patients who deteriorated, showing new abnormalities such as hydrocephalus in two, infarcts in four, exudates in four and granulomas in two, with worsening of the previous findings. CT at 3 and 6 months was still abnormal in most patients. At 6 months hydrocephalus had disappeared in four, as had tuberculomas in seven and exudates in six, but infarcts did not change. Initial deterioration was related to weakness on admission and the GCS. Cognitive impairment significantly correlated with exudates and tuberculomas and motor deficits with infarcts. Thus, a third of patients with TBM may deteriorate within 6 weeks of starting treatment and CT can be helpful in managing them. Worsening on treatment was related to weakness and GCS on admission. In most patients CT remained abnormal at 6 months despite clinical recovery

Applied anatomy and clinical significance of the maxillofacial and mandibular regions of the barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) and sambar deer (Rusa unicolor)

Background: There is no previously reported information on the applied anatomy and clinical significance of the maxillofacial and mandibular regions of the barking deer and sambar deer. Materials and methods: Therefore, the present study was designed to provide some important clinical landmarks related to tracking of the infraorbital, mental and mandibular nerves with its clinical implications in regional anaesthesia in both the species. Results: In the present study, the distance between the most lateral bulging of the facial tuberosity to the infraorbital foramen and from the latter to the root of the alveolar tooth directly ventral to it was found to be 2.65 ± 0.01 cm and 0.90 ± ± 0.02 cm in males; 2.75 ± 0.01 cm, 1.11 ± 0.01 cm in females of barking deer and 4.57 ± 0.01 cm and 1.83 ± 0.02 cm in males; 4.52 ± 0.02 cm and 1.76 ± 0.02 cm in females of sambar deer. The infraorbital foramen was small, elliptical and was located at the level of first superior premolar teeth in barking deer and sambar deer. The facial tuberosity was located above the third superior premolar teeth in the barking deer but was located at the level of the first superior molar teeth in sambar deer. The distance between the lateral alveolar root of the third inferior incisor tooth to the mental foramen was 2.84 ± 0.01 cm in males, 2.78 ± 0.01 cm in females of barking deer and 3.04 ± 0.02 cm in males, 2.96 ± 0.01 cm in females of sambar deer which is an important landmark for achieving the location of the mental foramen nerve for the regional nerve block in both the species. The mandible of both the species showed oval-shaped mental foramen with unossified mandibular symphysis. Conclusions: The present study revealed that most of the parameters showed a statistically significant difference between the sexes in barking deer and sambar deer; however, from the practical point of view, these differences were meager. The results were discussed with regard to their clinical applications in various regional anaesthesia performed in maxillofacial and mandibular regions of both the species

A rough set-based effective rule generation method for classification with an application in intrusion detection

Abstract: In this paper, we use Rough Set Theory (RST) to address the important problem of generating decision rules for data mining. In particular, we propose a rough set-based approach to mine rules from inconsistent data. It computes the lower and upper approximations for each concept, and then builds concise classification rules for each concept satisfying required classification accuracy. Estimating lower and upper approximations substantially reduces the computational complexity of the algorithm. We use UCI ML Repository data sets to test and validate the approach. We also use our approach on network intrusion data sets captured using our local network from network flows. The results show that our approach produces effective and minimal rules and provides satisfactory accuracy. Keywords: rough set; LEM2; inconsistency; minimal; redundant; PCS; intrusion detection; network flow data. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Gogoi, P., Bhattacharyya, D.K. and Kalita, J.K. (2013) 'A rough set-based effective rule generation method for classification with an application in intrusion detection', Int

Synthesis of novel pyrano[2,3-b]quinolines from simple acetanilides via intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition

Some novel isoxazole and pyrazole fused pyrano[2,3-b]quinolines were synthesized from simple acetanilides via intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions involving nitrones, nitrile oxides and nitrile imines as 1,3-dipoles, in a regioselective manner

Serial study of clinical and CT changes in tuberculous meningitis

Abstract Clinical and radiological changes in tuberculous meningitis (TBM) have been reported but there is paucity of comprehensive serial clinicoradiological follow-up. In this prospective hospital based study, we investigated serial changes in the clinical and radiological findings and their relationships over 6 months in 31 consecutive patients with TBM, diagnosed on the basis of clinical, radiological and spinal fluid criteria