Preliminary investigation of the effect of Rhizophora racemosa (mangrove) feed additive on broiler performance

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of consumption of Rhizophora racemosa (Mangrove) incorporated feed on feed intake, body weight gain, and some visceral organs of broiler chicks. Sixty day-old Hubbard broiler chicks were randomly allocated into four treatment groups, A, B, C and D of 15 birds per group and 5 birds per replicate. The dosages of the groups were 0 (control), 10, 20 and 30 g per kilogram of feed, respectively. Results obtained showed that there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) among the treatment means with respect to feed consumption/efficiency, and body weight gain. However, a lineal body weight gain was observed. There was obvious hypertrophy of the bursa of Fabricus of groups B, C, and D, indicative of defensive reaction to R. racemosa (foreign body) and increase of antibody production. The observed atrophy of the ovaries and the converse hypertrophy of the testes are analogous to decreased ovarian and increased testicular functions,respectively

Evaluation of methods and marker systems in genomic selection of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

Background Genomic selection (GS) uses genome-wide markers as an attempt to accelerate genetic gain in breeding programs of both animals and plants. This approach is particularly useful for perennial crops such as oil palm, which have long breeding cycles, and for which the optimal method for GS is still under debate. In this study, we evaluated the effect of different marker systems and modeling methods for implementing GS in an introgressed dura family derived from a Deli dura x Nigerian dura (Deli x Nigerian) with 112 individuals. This family is an important breeding source for developing new mother palms for superior oil yield and bunch characters. The traits of interest selected for this study were fruit-to-bunch (F/B), shell-to-fruit (S/F), kernel-to-fruit (K/F), mesocarp-to-fruit (M/F), oil per palm (O/P) and oil-to-dry mesocarp (O/DM). The marker systems evaluated were simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). RR-BLUP, Bayesian A, B, Cπ, LASSO, Ridge Regression and two machine learning methods (SVM and Random Forest) were used to evaluate GS accuracy of the traits. Results The kinship coefficient between individuals in this family ranged from 0.35 to 0.62. S/F and O/DM had the highest genomic heritability, whereas F/B and O/P had the lowest. The accuracies using 135 SSRs were low, with accuracies of the traits around 0.20. The average accuracy of machine learning methods was 0.24, as compared to 0.20 achieved by other methods. The trait with the highest mean accuracy was F/B (0.28), while the lowest were both M/F and O/P (0.18). By using whole genomic SNPs, the accuracies for all traits, especially for O/DM (0.43), S/F (0.39) and M/F (0.30) were improved. The average accuracy of machine learning methods was 0.32, compared to 0.31 achieved by other methods. Conclusion Due to high genomic resolution, the use of whole-genome SNPs improved the efficiency of GS dramatically for oil palm and is recommended for dura breeding programs. Machine learning slightly outperformed other methods, but required parameters optimization for GS implementation

Computer game assisted instruction and students’ achievement in social studies

This paper examines the effects of computer game assisted instructional method, student’s achievement in social studies in Nigerian schools. An overview of the position of social studies subject in schools today is undertaken showing social studies teaching needs more attention, this is done by applying or integrating computer game assisted instructional method. Two research questions and hypotheses were formulated to direct the study. Social studies achievement test (SSAT) was used to collect data from 176 junior secondary school students (JSSII). The results showed that there is a significant difference in the achievement of students in favour of CGAIM, but there is no significant difference in the mean achievement level of boys and girls. It is recommended that in-service training seminars and workshops should be regularly organized for practicing teaching to acquaint them with new innovations and ideas in the methods of teaching the subject.Keywords: Computer game, instruction, achievement, Social studie

Thigh-length compression stockings and DVT after stroke

Controversy exists as to whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in patients with invasive bladder cancer, despite randomised controlled trials of more than 3000 patients. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of such treatment on survival in patients with this disease