Effects of phytogenic feed additives on the reproductive performance of animals

The reproductive performance of ruminants is economically significant, and its improvement is a primary goal of the livestock industry to ensure its sustainability. Several approaches have been developed to use phytogenics as feed additives for several proposes, such as reducing methane emissions, and as an alternative to antibiotics. Phytogenics have potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and metabolism-regulatory properties, and they are present at high levels in animal feeds. This current review considers the potential use of medicinal herbs on the reproductive performance of animals. The influence of diet on the fertility complications commonly noted in ruminants is of global interest. Although the effects of phytogenics on ruminant digestion and absorption are well-explored, their impact on reproductive performance remains poorly investigated. This review focuses on the influence of phytogenics on semen quality, hormonal profiles, and hematobiochemical indices in male ruminants. Based on available data, phytogenics are perceived to improve oocyte quality, reproductive performance, and pregnancy. However, further more comprehensive research on the benefits and potential hazards of the use of phytogenics is required to improve reproductive performance in ruminants

Validation of the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Revision 4 among Chronic Schizophrenia Patients in Malaysia

Objectives: To explore the validity and reliability of a disease-specific health-related quality-of-life questionnaire-the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Revision 4 (SQLS-R4)-in patients with schizophrenia in Malaysia. Methods:A total of 222 outpatients with schizophrenia receiving treatment at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre completed the SQLS-R4 in either the Malay or the English language. A generic self-report health-related quality-of-life measure-the EuroQoL group EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire-and a measure of symptom severity-the Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia scale-were also administered to assess validity. Results: Good internal consistency reliability was found for both the psychosocial and vitality domains (Cronbach's ? = 0.95 and 0.85, respectively). Most items were also significantly correlated with their own scale score (r s ranging from 0.29 to 0.74). There was a moderate correlation between the SQLS-R4 "vitality" domain and the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire "usual activities" domain (r s = 0.44) and a large correlation between the SQLS-R4 "psychosocial" domain and the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire "anxiety/depression" domain (r s = 0.44-0.57). Most of the symptom dimensions of the Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia scale were also moderately correlated with the SQLS-R4 subscale scores. Conclusions:The SQLS-R4 is a valid and reliable health-related quality-of-life instrument for use in minimally ill patients with schizophrenia in Malaysia, but some of the items may be redundant and irrelevant. Validation of SQLS-R4 in different types of patients and various levels of illness severity is required to further verify its application.Scopu

Hyperperfusion profiles after recanalization differentially associate with outcomes in a rat ischemic stroke model

Futile recanalization hampers prognoses of ischemic stroke after successful mechanical thrombectomy, hypothetically through post-recanalization perfusion deficits, onset-to-groin delays and sex effects. Clinically, acute multiparametric imaging studies remain challenging. We assessed possible relationships between these factors and disease outcome after experimental cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, using translational MRI, behavioral testing and multi-model inference analyses. Male and female rats (N = 60) were subjected to 45-/90-min filament-induced transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Diffusion, T2- and perfusion-weighted MRI at occlusion, 0.5 h and four days after recanalization, enabled tracking of tissue fate, and relative regional cerebral blood flow (rrCBF) and -volume (rrCBV). Lesion areas were parcellated into core, salvageable tissue and delayed injury, verified by histology. Recanalization resulted in acute-to-subacute lesion volume reductions, most apparently in females (n = 19). Hyperacute normo-to-hyperperfusion in the post-ischemic lesion augmented towards day four, particularly in males (n = 23). Tissue suffering delayed injury contained higher ratios of hypoperfused voxels early after recanalization. Regressed against acute-to-subacute lesion volume change, increased rrCBF associated with lesion growth, but increased rrCBV with lesion reduction. Similar relationships were detected for behavioral outcome. Post-ischemic hyperperfusion may develop differentially in males and females, and can be beneficial or detrimental to disease outcome, depending on which perfusion parameter is used as explanatory variable.</p

Phytochemical control of poultry coccidiosis: A review

Avian coccidiosis is a major parasitic disorder in chickens resulting from the intracellular apicomplexan protozoa Eimeria that target the intestinal tract leading to a devastating disease. Eimeria life cycle is complex and consists of intra- and extracellular stages inducing a potent inflammatory response that results in tissue damage associated with oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, diarrheal hemorrhage, poor growth, increased susceptibility to other disease agents, and in severe cases, mortality. Various anticoccidial drugs and vaccines have been used to prevent and control this disorder; however, many drawbacks have been reported. Drug residues concerning the consumers have directed research toward natural, safe, and effective alternative compounds. Phytochemical/herbal medicine is one of these natural alternatives to anticoccidial drugs, which is considered an attractive way to combat coccidiosis in compliance with the “anticoccidial chemical-free” regulations. The anticoccidial properties of several natural herbal products (or their extracts) have been reported. The effect of herbal additives on avian coccidiosis is based on diminishing the oocyst output through inhibition or impairment of the invasion, replication, and development of Eimeria species in the gut tissues of chickens; lowering oocyst counts due to the presence of phenolic compounds in herbal extracts which reacts with cytoplasmic membranes causing coccidial cell death; ameliorating the degree of intestinal lipid peroxidation; facilitating the repair of epithelial injuries; and decreasing the intestinal permeability induced by Eimeria species through the upregulation of epithelial turnover. This current review highlights the anticoccidial activity of several herbal products, and their other beneficial effects

Why rankings of biomedical image analysis competitions should be interpreted with care

International challenges have become the standard for validation of biomedical image analysis methods. Given their scientific impact, it is surprising that a critical analysis of common practices related to the organization of challenges has not yet been performed. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of biomedical image analysis challenges conducted up to now. We demonstrate the importance of challenges and show that the lack of quality control has critical consequences. First, reproducibility and interpretation of the results is often hampered as only a fraction of relevant information is typically provided. Second, the rank of an algorithm is generally not robust to a number of variables such as the test data used for validation, the ranking scheme applied and the observers that make the reference annotations. To overcome these problems, we recommend best practice guidelines and define open research questions to be addressed in the future

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

CFD modeling of ash deposition for co-combustion of MBM with coal in a tangentially fired utility boiler

Ash deposition is one of the main challenges that needs to be tackled in response to increased percentage of biomass co-firing in pulverized fuel boilers. In this study, a model has been developed to investigate the slagging behavior of meat and bone meal (MBM) at higher co-firing rates in the Maasvlakte boiler operated by E.ON Benelux. The model includes the combustion of solid fuels in a tangentially fired boiler and post-processing of ash deposition on the heat exchange surfaces. The deposition tendency of the impacting ash particles is predicted on the basis of ash viscosity, which is calculated with the Urbain viscosity model. Thermodynamic equilibrium is used to calculate the various fuel ash properties for both oxidizing and reducing conditions. On the basis of the thermal heat input, solid fuel combustion is modeled and evaluated for various co-firing rates which consists of 0%, 12.5%, 25% and 40% of MBM. The calculation results show that the deposition propensity is the highest for a co-firing ratio of 25% MBM. The preferred deposition locations in the boiler calculated by the CFD model are in line with observations in operational practice

Colour analysis of potential natural colourant from Ixora siamensis and Melastoma malabathricum

Anthocyanins are an important group of natural pigments that are responsible for many colours in plants. The variation in colour, depending on the pH, makes them a unique source of natural colourant. In this study, pigments from the fruits of Ixora siamensis and the fruit pulps of Melastoma malabathricum were extracted using trifluoroacetic acid-methanol solution. Spectral measurements (380-780 nm) were performed using visible spectroscopy with colour analysis software at different pHs (initial extracts were 1, 5, 7, 9 and 11). The colours of the solutions were expressed as colourimetric coordinates in the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) laboratory scale using L* (lightness), C* (chroma), H degrees (hue angle notation hab), a*/-a* (redness and greenness) and b*/-b* (blueness and yellowness) for the D65/2 degrees CIE Illuminant/Observer condition. In this work, the colour parameters were observed for natural colourant with and without blending with polyvinyl alcohol for both species (Ixora siamensis and Melastoma malabathricum). The relationships between the colour parameters (colourimetric indexes and CIELab variables) with pH variation and species dependence were discussed in this paper

Study of anthocyanin stability derived from the fruit pulp of Melastoma malabathricum in a coating system

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the stability of anthocyanin colorant with and without ferulic acid (FA) stabilising agent in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) binder coating system. Design/methodology/approach - The anthocyanin colorant was extracted using methanol acidified with 0.5 trifluoroacetic acid (TEA). FA was added to improve thermal stability of the colorant. The FA added colorant was mixed with PVA to develop a coating system. To test the ability of the coating mixture to withstand heat in the liquid state, spectroscopic studies were carried out in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum when the liquid samples had cooled down to room temperature after being heated at 80 and 90 degrees C for 30 minutes. This procedure was repeated six times until a total heating time of 180 minutes has been accomplished. The liquid samples were also coated on glass slides, cured and then stored in different incubators at 30, 40 and 50 degrees C. The visible spectrum was taken everyday for 30 days to study the effect of storage temperature. Spectroscopic results were analysed in terms of intensity rate percentage (IRP). Findings - In the liquid state, the anthocyanin-PVA mixture without FA showed lower absorbance compared to the mixture containing FA after heating at 80 and 90 degrees C. This shows that FA can enhance the intensity of absorbance of the liquid coating mixture. The mixtures containing FA show increase in absorbance with increase in heating time. The same results are obtained for the coating on glass substrate where FA containing coatings show increase in IRP with time for all storage temperatures. Coating with 1 FA content showed better enhancement and stability. Research limitations/implications - The colour of the untreated samples quickly faded during heating and storage at different temperatures. In this study, the addition of 0.5 and 1 FA stabilised and enhanced the colour intensity at 30, 40 and 50 degrees C. Further improvements may find the mixture suitable as paint or coating materials and as nail varnish. Practical implications - The results indicate the possibility of applying the FA stabilised anthocyanin-PVA, colorant-binder composition in a coating system. Originality/value - The use of anthocyanin from M. Malabathricum as a colourant in a coating system or nail varnish is original. Anthocyanin pigments are normally used as colorant in foods