Daily Rhythmic Behaviors and Thermoregulatory Patterns Are Disrupted in Adult Female MeCP2-Deficient Mice

Mutations in the X-linked gene encoding Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) have been associated with neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders including Rett Syndrome, X-linked mental retardation syndrome, severe neonatal encephalopathy, and Angelman syndrome. Although alterations in the performance of MeCP2-deficient mice in specific behavioral tasks have been documented, it remains unclear whether or not MeCP2 dysfunction affects patterns of periodic behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. The aim of the current study was therefore to determine whether a deficiency in MeCP2 is sufficient to alter the normal daily rhythmic patterns of core body temperature, gross motor activity and cortical delta power. To address this, we monitored individual wild-type and MeCP2-deficient mice in their home cage environment via telemetric recording over 24 hour cycles. Our results show that the normal daily rhythmic behavioral patterning of cortical delta wave activity, core body temperature and mobility are disrupted in one-year old female MeCP2-deficient mice. Moreover, female MeCP2-deficient mice display diminished overall motor activity, lower average core body temperature, and significantly greater body temperature fluctuation than wild-type mice in their home-cage environment. Finally, we show that the epileptiform discharge activity in female MeCP2-deficient mice is more predominant during times of behavioral activity compared to inactivity. Collectively, these results indicate that MeCP2 deficiency is sufficient to disrupt the normal patterning of daily biological rhythmic activities

Sequelae due to bacterial meningitis among African children: a systematic literature review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>African children have some of the highest rates of bacterial meningitis in the world. Bacterial meningitis in Africa is associated with high case fatality and frequent neuropsychological sequelae. The objective of this study is to present a comprehensive review of data on bacterial meningitis sequelae in children from the African continent.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a systematic literature search to identify studies from Africa focusing on children aged between 1 month to 15 years with laboratory-confirmed bacterial meningitis. We extracted data on neuropsychological sequelae (hearing loss, vision loss, cognitive delay, speech/language disorder, behavioural problems, motor delay/impairment, and seizures) and mortality, by pathogen.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 37 articles were included in the final analysis representing 21 African countries and 6,029 children with confirmed meningitis. In these studies, nearly one fifth of bacterial meningitis survivors experienced in-hospital sequelae (median = 18%, interquartile range (IQR) = 13% to 27%). About a quarter of children surviving pneumococcal meningitis and <it>Haemophilus influenzae </it>type b (Hib) meningitis had neuropsychological sequelae by the time of hospital discharge, a risk higher than in meningococcal meningitis cases (median = 7%). The highest in-hospital case fatality ratios observed were for pneumococcal meningitis (median = 35%) and Hib meningitis (median = 25%) compared to meningococcal meningitis (median = 4%). The 10 post-discharge studies of children surviving bacterial meningitis were of varying quality. In these studies, 10% of children followed-up post discharge died (range = 0% to 18%) and a quarter of survivors had neuropsychological sequelae (range = 3% to 47%) during an average follow-up period of 3 to 60 months.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Bacterial meningitis in Africa is associated with high mortality and risk of neuropsychological sequelae. Pneumococcal and Hib meningitis kill approximately one third of affected children and cause clinically evident sequelae in a quarter of survivors prior to hospital discharge. The three leading causes of bacterial meningitis are vaccine preventable, and routine use of conjugate vaccines could provide substantial health and economic benefits through the prevention of childhood meningitis cases, deaths and disability.</p

Redefining the MED13L syndrome

Congenital cardiac and neurodevelopmental deficits have been recently linked to the mediator complex subunit 13-like protein MED13L, a subunit of the CDK8-associated mediator complex that functions in transcriptional regulation through DNA-binding transcription factors and RNA polymerase II. Heterozygous MED13L variants cause transposition of the great arteries and intellectual disability (ID). Here, we report eight patients with predominantly novel MED13L variants who lack such complex congenital heart malformations. Rather, they depict a syndromic form of ID characterized by facial dysmorphism, ID, speech impairment, motor developmental delay with muscular hypotonia and behavioral difficulties. We thereby define a novel syndrome and significantly broaden the clinical spectrum associated with MED13L variants. A prominent feature of the MED13L neurocognitive presentation is profound language impairment, often in combination with articulatory deficits

Evaluation of appendicitis risk prediction models in adults with suspected appendicitis

Background Appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide, but its diagnosis remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine whether existing risk prediction models can reliably identify patients presenting to hospital in the UK with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain who are at low risk of appendicitis. Methods A systematic search was completed to identify all existing appendicitis risk prediction models. Models were validated using UK data from an international prospective cohort study that captured consecutive patients aged 16–45 years presenting to hospital with acute RIF in March to June 2017. The main outcome was best achievable model specificity (proportion of patients who did not have appendicitis correctly classified as low risk) whilst maintaining a failure rate below 5 per cent (proportion of patients identified as low risk who actually had appendicitis). Results Some 5345 patients across 154 UK hospitals were identified, of which two‐thirds (3613 of 5345, 67·6 per cent) were women. Women were more than twice as likely to undergo surgery with removal of a histologically normal appendix (272 of 964, 28·2 per cent) than men (120 of 993, 12·1 per cent) (relative risk 2·33, 95 per cent c.i. 1·92 to 2·84; P < 0·001). Of 15 validated risk prediction models, the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best (cut‐off score 8 or less, specificity 63·1 per cent, failure rate 3·7 per cent). The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score performed best for men (cut‐off score 2 or less, specificity 24·7 per cent, failure rate 2·4 per cent). Conclusion Women in the UK had a disproportionate risk of admission without surgical intervention and had high rates of normal appendicectomy. Risk prediction models to support shared decision‐making by identifying adults in the UK at low risk of appendicitis were identified

Effects of source and level of nitrogen on the utilization of sorghum stover by Yankasa rams

The effects of cotton seed cake (CSC) or urea in supplying either 12% or 16% crude protein on sorghum stover utilization by Yankasa rams was studied for twelve weeks, using a 2 x 2 factorially designed experiment. Nutrient intake, digestibility, weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were monitored. In vitro volatile fatty acid (VFA) and ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) concentrations were also determined. The result of the study indicated that the source and/or level of nitrogen (or crude protein) significantly (P&lt;0.05) affected crude protein intake (CPI), digestible crude protein intake (DCPI) and in vitro NH3-N concentration. Total feed intake, live weight gain (LWG), FCR and DCPI were significantly (P&lt;0.05) affected by source x level interaction. Acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) intakes, CP, ADF and NDF digestibilities, digestible ADF and NDF intakes, stover intake and in vitro VFA concentration were not significantly (P&gt;0.05) affected by either main effects of CP source and level or their interaction. The rams on the 16% CSC and 12% urea ration gained more weight and had lower FCR than those on the 12% CSC and 16% urea. The 16% CSC ration gave the best result in terms of sorghum stover supplementation. The 12% urea treatment which also had a good result in terms of weight gain and FCR could also be recommended for use.Keywords: Source, level, nitrogen, stover, utilization, ram

Ammoniation of rice straw using poultry litter: Effect on nutrient composition and patholgenic microbial flora

La valeur nutritive et la flore microbienne pathogène de la paille de riz traitée à la litière de volaille dans un essai factoriel 5x3x3 a été évaluée à l’Université Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, à Bauchi, au Nigeria. La paille de riz a été mélangée avec la litière de volaille (RSPL) dans cinq proportions différentes 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, 8:2 et 9:1. L’eau a été mélangée avec chacun des RSPL (1-5) dans trois proportions différentes, 50:50, 60:40 et 70:30,respectivement. Les mélanges ont été conservés dans des fûts métalliques étanche pendant 7, 14 et 21 jours.. La masse microbienne par gramme (UFC/g) était significativement (

Effects of Feed Supplementation and Deworming on Helminthes Egg Counts of Sheep and Goats in Bauchi State

A study was conducted at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Small Ruminant Teaching and Research Farm to determine the effects of feed supplementation and deworming on the productivity of sheep and goats in Bauchi State. Twenty four small ruminants (12 sheep and 12 goats), with average weights of 10.5 and 8.7 kg respectively were used for the experiments. The supplement used were maize bran (MB) and cotton seed cake (CSC) given at the ratio of 4:1 followed by field grazing in both the late wet and early dry seasons. Sheep and goats supplemented and dewormed (0.00 epg) and supplemented not dewormed (0.00 epg) respectively had lower worm egg counts, though these were not significant (p&gt;0.05). Similarly, supplemented goats recorded lower worm egg counts (0.42 epg) than supplemented sheep. Dewormed sheep and goats in both seasons had lower worm loads, with goats having the lowest (0.05 epg) in the dry season. Also feed supplemented goats in both the wet and dry seasons had lower worm counts of 0.67 epg (wet) and 0.17 epg (dry) though without significant statistical difference (p&gt;0.05) result. It was concluded that farmers should supplement small ruminant feeding generally in the dry season and dewormed sheep mostly in the wet season than in the dry season

Effect of supplementation of dry and rainy season grazing on some blood metabolites of small ruminants

The study examined the effects of supplementation of dry and rainy season grazing on some blood metabolites of sheep and goats in Bauchi state, Northeastern Nigeria. The supplements were maize bran (MB) and cotton seed cake (CSC) given at the ratio of 4:1 followed by grazing in the field. Supplemented sheep and goats showed higher values of packed cell volume (PCV), blood urea (BU) and total blood protein (TBP) than the  not-supplemented groups. However, TBP values for nonsupplemented sheep was slightly higher (48.79 g/l) than the supplemented sheep (48.65 g/l).Supplemented sheep in the wet season values for PCV, BU and TBP were similarly not significant (p>0.05). It was concluded that farmers should supplement their small ruminants (sheep/goats) with protein source diets for better physiologically performance.Key words: Supplementation, season, blood, metabolites, sheep and goat

Performance of sheep and goats fed supplements during wet and dry seasons in Bauchi State, Nigeria

Twenty four small ruminants (12 sheep and 12 goats), having average weights of 10.5 and 8.7 kg respectively were used in a feeding trial to assess the performance of animals in both the wet and dry season consisting of maize bran (MB) and cotton seed cake (CSC) supplements. The Sheep and goats subjected to supplemented diets had higher weight gains of 68.58 and 60.92 g/day than those not supplemented, 39.33 and 50.00 g/day respectively for sheep and goats. Seasonal effects on the parameters were not significant for both supplemented and not supplemented sheep and goats. The interaction effects of supplementation x species x season were not significant. The study showed that sheep requires supplementation in both seasons, where as goats may require supplementation only in the dry season.Keywords: Sheep, goats, maize bran, cotton seed cak