Growth and quality of broilers from peanut oil-peanut meal diets

The effect of supplemental fat in the poultry diet is of economic interest to poultry producers. Lard, beef tallow, stabilized yellow grease, and fancy bleachable fat have been used extensively. Soybean oil and corn oil also have been used successfully. Peanut oil is an additional source of fat for the poultry diet. Fats are known to make two important nutritional contributions: (a) energy, and (b) essential fatty acids. Growth rate and efficiency of food utilization are the main basis for evaluating the effect of supplemental fat in the growing chick diet. Some fats and feed ingredients have been found to impart their natural flavor to the cooked meat. Consequently, organoleptic evaluation of the finished product is essential in ascertaining the desirability of using a supplemental fat. In different parts of the world, especially in the tropics where the environment is not suitable for the soybean crop, the peanut crop is foremost. The correlated use of peanut oil as a fat source and peanut meal as a sole protein source for the poultry diet seems economically advantageous. In the Afro-Asian countries, peanut meal is being used experimentally as a protein supplement for human nutrition, and refined peanut oil is used extensively for cooking purposes. In these countries, commercialization of poultry husbandry is at an early stage. Profitable use of indigenous products in the poultry industry would be of prime interest at this time. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of peanut meal (50 percent protein) and peanut oil in broiler diets on growth, feed efficiency, characteristics of deposited fat and organoleptic characteristics of the roasted white and dark meat

Effects of Ripening Processes on Chemistry of Tomato Volatiles

Investigations were carried out to isolate, identify, and to characterize, major volatile components of tomato fruit. Simultaneously, the confirmation was extended to the reported tomato volatiles. The volatile extracts from field- and artificially - ripe fruits were compared qualitatively as well as quantitatively. The changes which occurred in the volatile components of the fruit at the onset of senescence also were delineated. A typical chromatogram from field-ripe tomatoes contained 60 peaks. The functional group properties of individual peaks were derived by chemical analysis. The short-chain (C3-C6) alcohols represented 10 per cent, aldehydes and ketones 32 per cent, and hydrocarbons, long-chain alcohols, and esters were in 58 per cent of the total amount of the volatiles from the field-ripe fruits. Among alcohols and carbonyls, 3-pantanol, 1-nonanal, 1-decanal, and 1-dodecanal and among esters, propyl acetate, geranyl acetate, and cetronellyl butyrate were tentatively identified as volatile compounds of tomato fruit. Linalyl acetate, citronellyl butyrate, and geranyl butyrate were identified for the first time as the components of tomato volatiles. Comparisons of volatile concentrations of field- and artificially - ripe tomatoes were made. IN the latter category of fruits the concentrations of 1-butanol, 3-pentanol, 2-methyl-3-hexanol, 3-methyl-butanal, 2,3-butanedione, propyl acetate, isopentyl butyrate, and other unidentified carbonyls were higher than those observed in the field-ripe fruits. These short-chain compounds, especially the C4-C6 moities, probably are formed in their maximum concentrations during the early stages of maturation. Under the conditions of restricted nutrient availability, sun light, and limited enzymatic activity during artificial ripening, the long-chain compounds are not sunthesized appreciably. The concentrations of some of these short-chain compounds may be to a level of masking the effects of more desirable compounds contributory to ripe tomato aroma. Notably, a pulp from the artificially ripe fruits lacked the characteristic ripe tomato aroma. The concentrations of the long-chain carbonyls and the terpene esters were low in the artificially ripe tomatoes as compared to the field-ripe ones. This may indicate major contribution of these compounds to ripe tomato aroma. An attempt has been made to theorize the mechanisms of the biogenesis of these components of tomato volatiles. The concentrations of the volatiles from field-ripe and overripe tomatoes were compared. During overripening the amounts of alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, acetates, and propionates generally decreased. However, the concentrations of diacetyl and butyric acid esters increased. It was assumed that at the onset of senescence the metabolic pathways for the formation of diacetyl and butyric acid were highly operative in tomato fruit. The mechanisms of these pathways were postulated

Aortic dissection with left supraclavicular pulsatile swelling: a rare presentation

We are presenting a case of aortic dissection with rare presentation. Patient came with complaints of left sided supraclavicular pulsatile swelling and incidentally was recorded with high blood pressure. After series of investigations he was diagnosed as a case of aortic dissection

Self Assessment of Dental students’ Perception of Learning Environment in Croatia, India and Nepal

Cilj: Željela se procijeniti percepcija studenata dentalne medicine iz različitih okolina za učenje u Hrvatskoj, Indiji i Nepalu. Postupci: Istraživanje je provedeno tijekom akademske godine 2016./17. Ukupno je sudjelovalo 849 studenata dentalne medicine – 188 iz Hrvatske, 373 iz Indije i 288 iz Nepala. Oni koji nisu ispunili upitnik nisu uzeti u obzir. Primijenjen je Upitnik za studente dentalne medicine o okolini za učenje (engl. Dental Student Learning Environment Survey – DSLES) koji se sastojao od 55 pitanja svrstanih u 7 kategorija. Njima su se mjerile percepcije fleksibilnosti, interakcija među studentima, emocionalno ozračje, potpora, stečeno iskustvo, organizacija i širina interesa. U statističkoj analizi podataka korišten je Kolmogorov-Smirnovljev test. Kruskal-Wallisova neparametrijska ANOVA također je upotrijebljena u testiranju razlika između zemalja. Post hoc analiza obavljena je s pomoću Ranksovih tablica i medijanskoga testa. Rezultati: Odgovorilo je 26,9 % studenata. Značajne razlike između zemalja nađene su za sve varijable DSLES upitnika (Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0,01). Medijanski test također je pokazao značajne razlike za sve varijable DSLES-a (p < 0,01). Kategorije s najvišim srednjim vrijednostima ocjena su interakcije među studentima u Indiji i Nepalu te emocionalno ozračje u Hrvatskoj. Zaključak: Studenti u Hrvatskoj ocijenili su svoj fakultet samo ocjenama odličan i dobar, a njihovi kolege u Indiji i Nepalu bili su kritičniji. Unatoč različitim okolnostima u trima zemljama, fleksibilnost je identificirana kao područje slabosti u svim tim sustavima obrazovanja.Aim: The aim of this study was to assess dental students’ perception of different learning environment in India, Nepal and Croatia. Methods: The study was conducted during a period of academic year 2016/17. A total of 849 dental students participated in the study. There were 188 respondents from Croatia, 373 from India, and 288 from Nepal. Non-responders were not followed up. The Dental Student Learning Environment Survey (DSLES) was used which consisted of 55 items subdivided into seven scales. The scales measured the following perceptions: Flexibility, ‘Student-to-Student Interactions, Emotional Climate, Supportiveness, Meaningful Experience, Organization and Breadth of Interest. Statistical analysis of the data utilised the Kolmogorov Smirnov test. The Kruskal-Wallis “non-parametric ANOVA” was also used to test the differences between the countries. A post hoc analysis was performed using Ranks tables and the Median test. Results: The response rate was 26.9%. Significant differences between the countries were found for all DSLES variables (Kruskal-Wallis, p<0.01). The Median test also showed significant differences between the countries for all DSLES variables (p<0.01). The scales with the highest mean values were ‘Student-to-student interactions’ in India and Nepal, and the ‘Emotional Climate’ in Croatia. Conclusions: Students in Croatia rated their school only with grades excellent and good, while their colleagues in India and Nepal were more critical. Despite the different settings in three countries, ‘Flexibility’ was identified as the area of weakness in all three educational systems

Antipsychotics and Torsadogenic Risk: Signals Emerging from the US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System Database

Background: Drug-induced torsades de pointes (TdP) and related clinical entities represent a current regulatory and clinical burden. Objective: As part of the FP7 ARITMO (Arrhythmogenic Potential of Drugs) project, we explored the publicly available US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database to detect signals of torsadogenicity for antipsychotics (APs). Methods: Four groups of events in decreasing order of drug-attributable risk were identified: (1) TdP, (2) QT-interval abnormalities, (3) ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia, and (4) sudden cardiac death. The reporting odds ratio (ROR) with 95 % confidence interval (CI) was calculated through a cumulative analysis from group 1 to 4. For groups 1+2, ROR was adjusted for age, gender, and concomitant drugs (e.g., antiarrhythmics) and stratified for AZCERT drugs, lists I and II (http://www.azcert.org, as of June 2011). A potential signal of torsadogenicity was defined if a drug met all the following criteria: (a) four or more cases in group 1+2; (b) significant ROR in group 1+2 that persists through the cumulative approach; (c) significant adjusted ROR for group 1+2 in the stratum without AZCERT drugs; (d) not included in AZCERT lists (as of June 2011). Results: Over the 7-year period, 37 APs were reported in 4,794 cases of arrhythmia: 140 (group 1), 883 (group 2), 1,651 (group 3), and 2,120 (group 4). Based on our criteria, the following potential signals of torsadogenicity were found: amisulpride (25 cases; adjusted ROR in the stratum without AZCERT drugs = 43.94, 95 % CI 22.82-84.60), cyamemazine (11; 15.48, 6.87-34.91), and olanzapine (189; 7.74, 6.45-9.30). Conclusions: This pharmacovigilance analysis on the FAERS found 3 potential signals of torsadogenicity for drugs previously unknown for this risk

Association of cardiometabolic microRNAs with COVID-19 severity and mortality

AIMS: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can lead to multiorgan damage. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in blood reflect cell activation and tissue injury. We aimed to determine the association of circulating miRNAs with COVID-19 severity and 28 day intensive care unit (ICU) mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed RNA-Seq in plasma of healthy controls (n = 11), non-severe (n = 18), and severe (n = 18) COVID-19 patients and selected 14 miRNAs according to cell- and tissue origin for measurement by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT–qPCR) in a separate cohort of mild (n = 6), moderate (n = 39), and severe (n = 16) patients. Candidates were then measured by RT–qPCR in longitudinal samples of ICU COVID-19 patients (n = 240 samples from n = 65 patients). A total of 60 miRNAs, including platelet-, endothelial-, hepatocyte-, and cardiomyocyte-derived miRNAs, were differentially expressed depending on severity, with increased miR-133a and reduced miR-122 also being associated with 28 day mortality. We leveraged mass spectrometry-based proteomics data for corresponding protein trajectories. Myocyte-derived (myomiR) miR-133a was inversely associated with neutrophil counts and positively with proteins related to neutrophil degranulation, such as myeloperoxidase. In contrast, levels of hepatocyte-derived miR-122 correlated to liver parameters and to liver-derived positive (inverse association) and negative acute phase proteins (positive association). Finally, we compared miRNAs to established markers of COVID-19 severity and outcome, i.e. SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia, age, BMI, D-dimer, and troponin. Whilst RNAemia, age and troponin were better predictors of mortality, miR-133a and miR-122 showed superior classification performance for severity. In binary and triplet combinations, miRNAs improved classification performance of established markers for severity and mortality. CONCLUSION: Circulating miRNAs of different tissue origin, including several known cardiometabolic biomarkers, rise with COVID-19 severity. MyomiR miR-133a and liver-derived miR-122 also relate to 28 day mortality. MiR-133a reflects inflammation-induced myocyte damage, whilst miR-122 reflects the hepatic acute phase response

Utilisation of an operative difficulty grading scale for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background A reliable system for grading operative difficulty of laparoscopic cholecystectomy would standardise description of findings and reporting of outcomes. The aim of this study was to validate a difficulty grading system (Nassar scale), testing its applicability and consistency in two large prospective datasets. Methods Patient and disease-related variables and 30-day outcomes were identified in two prospective cholecystectomy databases: the multi-centre prospective cohort of 8820 patients from the recent CholeS Study and the single-surgeon series containing 4089 patients. Operative data and patient outcomes were correlated with Nassar operative difficultly scale, using Kendall’s tau for dichotomous variables, or Jonckheere–Terpstra tests for continuous variables. A ROC curve analysis was performed, to quantify the predictive accuracy of the scale for each outcome, with continuous outcomes dichotomised, prior to analysis. Results A higher operative difficulty grade was consistently associated with worse outcomes for the patients in both the reference and CholeS cohorts. The median length of stay increased from 0 to 4 days, and the 30-day complication rate from 7.6 to 24.4% as the difficulty grade increased from 1 to 4/5 (both p < 0.001). In the CholeS cohort, a higher difficulty grade was found to be most strongly associated with conversion to open and 30-day mortality (AUROC = 0.903, 0.822, respectively). On multivariable analysis, the Nassar operative difficultly scale was found to be a significant independent predictor of operative duration, conversion to open surgery, 30-day complications and 30-day reintervention (all p < 0.001). Conclusion We have shown that an operative difficulty scale can standardise the description of operative findings by multiple grades of surgeons to facilitate audit, training assessment and research. It provides a tool for reporting operative findings, disease severity and technical difficulty and can be utilised in future research to reliably compare outcomes according to case mix and intra-operative difficulty

Population‐based cohort study of outcomes following cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder diseases

Background The aim was to describe the management of benign gallbladder disease and identify characteristics associated with all‐cause 30‐day readmissions and complications in a prospective population‐based cohort. Methods Data were collected on consecutive patients undergoing cholecystectomy in acute UK and Irish hospitals between 1 March and 1 May 2014. Potential explanatory variables influencing all‐cause 30‐day readmissions and complications were analysed by means of multilevel, multivariable logistic regression modelling using a two‐level hierarchical structure with patients (level 1) nested within hospitals (level 2). Results Data were collected on 8909 patients undergoing cholecystectomy from 167 hospitals. Some 1451 cholecystectomies (16·3 per cent) were performed as an emergency, 4165 (46·8 per cent) as elective operations, and 3293 patients (37·0 per cent) had had at least one previous emergency admission, but had surgery on a delayed basis. The readmission and complication rates at 30 days were 7·1 per cent (633 of 8909) and 10·8 per cent (962 of 8909) respectively. Both readmissions and complications were independently associated with increasing ASA fitness grade, duration of surgery, and increasing numbers of emergency admissions with gallbladder disease before cholecystectomy. No identifiable hospital characteristics were linked to readmissions and complications. Conclusion Readmissions and complications following cholecystectomy are common and associated with patient and disease characteristics

Outcomes of obstructed abdominal wall hernia: results from the UK national small bowel obstruction audit

Background: Abdominal wall hernia is a common surgical condition. Patients may present in an emergency with bowel obstruction, incarceration or strangulation. Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a serious surgical condition associated with significant morbidity. The aim of this study was to describe current management and outcomes of patients with obstructed hernia in the UK as identified in the National Audit of Small Bowel Obstruction (NASBO). Methods: NASBO collated data on adults treated for SBO at 131 UK hospitals between January and March 2017. Those with obstruction due to abdominal wall hernia were included in this study. Demographics, co-morbidity, imaging, operative treatment, and in-hospital outcomes were recorded. Modelling for factors associated with mortality and complications was undertaken using Cox proportional hazards and multivariable regression modelling. Results: NASBO included 2341 patients, of whom 415 (17·7 per cent) had SBO due to hernia. Surgery was performed in 312 (75·2 per cent) of the 415 patients; small bowel resection was required in 198 (63·5 per cent) of these operations. Non-operative management was reported in 35 (54 per cent) of 65 patients with a parastomal hernia and in 34 (32·1 per cent) of 106 patients with an incisional hernia. The in-hospital mortality rate was 9·4 per cent (39 of 415), and was highest in patients with a groin hernia (11·1 per cent, 17 of 153). Complications were common, including lower respiratory tract infection in 16·3 per cent of patients with a groin hernia. Increased age was associated with an increased risk of death (hazard ratio 1·05, 95 per cent c.i. 1·01 to 1·10; P = 0·009) and complications (odds ratio 1·05, 95 per cent c.i. 1·02 to 1·09; P = 0·001). Conclusion: NASBO has highlighted poor outcomes for patients with SBO due to hernia, highlighting the need for quality improvement initiatives in this group

Procalcitonin Is Not a Reliable Biomarker of Bacterial Coinfection in People With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Undergoing Microbiological Investigation at the Time of Hospital Admission

Abstract Admission procalcitonin measurements and microbiology results were available for 1040 hospitalized adults with coronavirus disease 2019 (from 48 902 included in the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections Consortium World Health Organization Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK study). Although procalcitonin was higher in bacterial coinfection, this was neither clinically significant (median [IQR], 0.33 [0.11–1.70] ng/mL vs 0.24 [0.10–0.90] ng/mL) nor diagnostically useful (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.56 [95% confidence interval, .51–.60]).</jats:p