Meta-analysis of data from animal studies:A practical guide

AbstractMeta-analyses of data from human studies are invaluable resources in the life sciences and the methods to conduct these are well documented. Similarly there are a number of benefits in conducting meta-analyses on data from animal studies; they can be used to inform clinical trial design, or to try and explain discrepancies between preclinical and clinical trial results. However there are inherit differences between animal and human studies and so applying the same techniques for the meta-analysis of preclinical data is not straightforward. For example preclinical studies are frequently small and there is often substantial heterogeneity between studies. This may have an impact on both the method of calculating an effect size and the method of pooling data. Here we describe a practical guide for the meta-analysis of data from animal studies including methods used to explore sources of heterogeneity

The role and development of the high priesthood with particular reference to the post-exilic period

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:D193217 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Desempenho produtivo de vacas leiteiras alimentadas com silagem pré-seca de alfafa adicionada de inoculante microbiano Performance of lactating dairy cows fed alfalfa haylage with microbial inoculant

Objetivou-se, com o presente estudo, avaliar os efeitos da inoculação microbiana da silagem pré-seca de alfafa sobre o consumo de matéria seca, a produção e composição do leite de vacas da raça Holandesa, multíparas, com 135 ± 16,4 dias de lactação, distribuídas em delineamento em reversão simples com seqüência balanceada ("cross-over"), com dois períodos sucessivos. Os tratamentos corresponderam à silagem pré-seca de alfafa (50,0% de MS e 16,5% de PB) controle ou inoculada com o produto Silobac® (Lactobacillus plantarum e Pediococcus pentosaceus). Cada período experimental teve duração de 21 dias, sendo os cinco últimos dias destinados à coleta de dados. Não se observou efeito da inoculação sobre o CMS (inoculada = 17,8 vs. controle = 17,8 kg/animal/dia), a produção de leite corrigida para 4,0% de gordura (21,0 vs. 20,4 kg/dia), produção de leite (23,0 vs. 22,4 kg/dia), porcentagem de gordura (3,46 vs. 3,47%), proteína (2,96 vs. 2,93%), lactose (4,64 vs. 4,67%), sólidos totais (11,9 vs. 11,9%) e sólidos desengordurados (8,49 vs. 8,48%), CCS (5,43 vs. 5,16 log cel/10³/mL), NUL (11,7 vs. 12,1 mg/dl), acidez (15,9 vs. 16,4ºD), densidade (1030,1 vs. 1030,0) e crioscopia (-0,529 vs. -0,531ºH).<br>The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding alfalfa haylage with microbial inoculat on dry matter intake, milk yield and composition in Holstein cows, at 135 ± 16.4 days in milk. A cross-over design with two periods of sampling was used. Treatments were alfalfa haylage (50.0% DM and 16.5% CP) control or microbially inoculated with Silobac® product (Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus). Each experimental period extended for twenty-one days, the last five used for data collection. The inoculation did not influence DMI (inoculated = 17.8 vs. control = 17.8 kg/animal/day), 4%FCM (21.0 vs. 20.4 kg/day), milk yield (23.0 vs. 22.4 kg/day), fat (3.46 vs. 3.47%), protein (2.96 vs. 2.93%), lactose (4.64 vs. 4.67%), total solids (11.9 vs. 11.9%) and fat free solids percentage (8.49 vs. 8.48%), SCC (5.43 vs. 5.16 log cell/10³/mL), MUN (11.7 vs. 12.1 mg/dl), acidity (15.9 vs. 16.4ºD), density (1030.1 vs. 1030.0) and cryoscopic index (-0.529 vs. -0.531ºH)