Utilisation of different protein sources for growing rabbits

The effects of groundnut cake and local [zsh meal on the growth and protein utilisation of rabbits were studied. The eight weeks feeding trial involving twentyfour, six-week-old male and female exotic white rabbits weighing 550-610 g in a completely randomised design were fed three diets: a control diet which had the combination of groundnut cake and local fish meal, and experimental diets that had either groundnut cake or local fish meal as the protein source. The groundnut cake (GNC) and the local fish meal (LFM) were high in protein (48.13% and 52.15% respectively), the local fish meal had a low fibre level (0.83 %) while the groundnut cake was low in ash (5.22%) but high in fiber (5.52%). Both protein sources supplied appreciable arrwunts of protein and minerals. The control diets gave significantly (P<O.Ol) better weight gains than the groundnut cake and local fish meal diets respectively. Protein efficiency ratio was also significantly (P<O.Ol) better with control diets, when compared with the eNC and LFM diets. No significant differences were obtained in the level offeed: Gain from rabbits fed the trial diets. There was no incidence of enterities or mortality among the treatment groups

Effects of co-administered dexamethasone and diclofenac potassium on pain, swelling and trismus following third molar surgery

BACKGROUND: The apparent interactions between the mechanisms of action of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and steroids suggest that co-therapy may provide beneficial inflammatory and pain relief in the absence of side effects. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of co-administered dexamethasone and diclofenac potassium (diclofenac K) with diclofenac K alone on the postoperative pain, swelling and trismus after surgical removal of third molars. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective randomized double-blind study was conducted at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. A total of 100 patients were randomly allocated to two treatment groups of dexamethasone (prophylactic 8 mg and postoperative 4 mg IV) and diclofenac K (50 mg Oral before and after surgery), and diclofenac K alone (as with first group). The overall analgesic efficacy of the drug combinations was assessed postoperatively by determination of pain intensity using a category rating scale. Facial swelling was measured using a tape measure placed from tragus to gonion to tragus, while interincisal mouth-opening of patients was measured using a vernier calibrated caliper pre-operatively and post-operatively. RESULTS: Co-administration of dexamethasone and diclofenac K was significantly superior to diclofenac alone for the relief of pain (P < 0.05), and facial swelling up to post-operative 48 hour (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference for trismus relief between the two medication protocols (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study illustrates enhanced effects of co-administered dexamethasone and diclofenac K on short-term post-operative pain and swelling, compared to diclofenac potassium alone in third molar surgery

Identifying National Level Education Reforms in Developing Settings: An Application to Ethiopia

Increasing enrollment in primary education has been at the center of international education policy for well over a decade. In developing parts of the world, significant increases in primary enrollment are often generated by large national level programs, which can simultaneously promote overcrowding and reductions in education quality. However, to analyze the trade-off between increased enrollment and potential reductions in quality one must first identify and evaluate the impact of the national reform on schooling. This paper provides a method with which these types of reforms can be identified in developing settings using both temporal and geographic variation, and readily available data. The method is applied to an early 1990s reform in Ethiopia based around the release of the Education and Training Policy, which removed schooling fees from grades one to ten. The model estimates that the reform led to an increase in schooling of at least 1.2 years, and provides initial evidence that the increased enrollment in Ethiopia outweighed any cost due to reductions in quality