Carcass Yield and Quality of Pork from Pigs Fed Graded Levels of Fig (Ficus sur) Fruits Mixed with Maize Grain

Twenty growing Yorkshire piglets of 27.8±1.4kg (mean ± SD) average initial weight were used to investigate the effect of feeding different proportions of ground Ficus sur fruits (FSF) mixed with ground maize grain (MG) on carcass yield and quality attributes. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four treatments and five replications per treatment. The treatment diets were: 100% FSF and 0%MG represented as (100FSF), 67% FSF and 33% MG (67FSF), 33% FSF and 67% MG (33FSF) and 0% FSF and 100% MG (0FSF). For all treatments protein supplement (NSC+SBM) was given to provide about 18% CP to make the ration isonitrogenous. Except for the slaughter weight, which significantly (P<0.05) increased with increase in MG level in the diets, all other carcass measurements and primal cuts did not differ (P>0.05) among the treatments. However, lungs (P=0.012) and gastro intestinal tract (GIT) (P=0.001) among the viscera organs were varied. None of the quality attributes of the pork significantly differed (P>0.05) in color, taste, flavor, juiciness, tenderness and texture among the treatments. This indicates that similar quality pork can be produced by feeding FSF as those fed with MG. It is, therefore, concluded that substitution of MG with FSFs in the diets of pigs can result in comparable carcass yield and quality attributes

Patterns of treatment seeking behavior for mental illnesses in Southwest Ethiopia: a hospital based study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Early recognition of the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders is important because early intervention is critical to restoring the mental as well as the physical and the social health of an individual. This study sought to investigate patterns of treatment seeking behavior and associated factors for mental illness.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A quantitative, institution-based cross sectional study was conducted among 384 psychiatric patients at Jimma University Specialized Hospital (JUSH) located in Jimma, Ethiopia from March to April 2010. Data was collected using a pretested WHO encounter format by trained psychiatric nurses. Data was analyzed using SPSS V.16.</p> <p>Result</p> <p>Major depression disorder 186 (48.4%), schizophrenia 55 (14.3%) and other psychotic disorders 47 (12.2%) were the most common diagnoses given to the respondents. The median duration of symptoms of mental illness before contact to modern mental health service was 52.1 weeks. The main sources of information for the help sought by the patients were found to be family 126 (32.8%) and other patients 75 (19.5%). Over a third of the patients 135 (35.2%), came directly to JUSH. Half of the patients sought traditional treatment from either a religious healer 116 (30.2%) or an herbalist 77 (20.1%) before they came to the hospital. The most common explanations given for the cause of the mental illness were spiritual possession 198 (51.6%) and evil eye 61 (15.9%), whereas 73 (19.0%) of the respondents said they did not know the cause of mental illnesses. Nearly all of the respondents 379 (98.7%) believed that mental illness can be cured with modern treatment. Individuals who presented with abdominal pain and headache were more likely to seek care earlier. Being in the age group 31-40 years had significant statistical association with delayed treatment seeking behavior.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There is significant delay in modern psychiatric treatment seeking in the majority of the cases. Traditional healers were the first place where help was sought for mental illness in this population. Most of the respondents claimed that mental illnesses were caused by supernatural factors. In contrast to their thoughts about the causes of mental illnesses however, most of the respondents believed that mental illnesses could be cured with biomedical treatment. Interventions targeted at improving public awareness about the causes and treatment of mental illness could reduce the delay in treatment seeking and improve treatment outcomes.</p

Healable Cellulose Iontronic Hydrogel Stickers for Sustainable Electronics on Paper

The authors acknowledge the support from FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology through the Ph.D. scholarships SFRH/BD/126409/2016 (I.C.) and SFRH/BD/122286/2016 (J.M.). The authors would like to acknowledge the European Commission under project NewFun (ERC-StG-2014, GA 640598) and project SYNERGY (H2020-WIDESPREAD-2020-5, CSA, proposal no 952169). This work was also supported by the FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 Program and the National Funds through the FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the Project No. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007688, reference UID/CTM/50025, project CHIHC, reference PTDC/NAN-MAT/32558/2017. The authors would also like to thank their colleagues Daniela Gomes and Ana Pimentel from CENIMAT/i3N for the SEM and DSC-TGA measurements, respectively.Novel nature-based engineered functional materials combined with sustainable and economically efficient processes are among the great challenges for the future of mankind. In this context, this work presents a new generation of versatile flexible and highly conformable regenerated cellulose hydrogel electrolytes with high ionic conductivity and self-healing ability, capable of being (re)used in electrical and electrochemical devices. They can be provided in the form of stickers and easily applied as gate dielectric onto flexible indium–gallium–zinc oxide transistors, decreasing the manufacturing complexity. Flexible and low-voltage (<2.5 V) circuits can be handwritten on-demand on paper transistors for patterning of conductive/resistive lines. This user-friendly and simplified manufacturing approach holds potential for fast production of low-cost, portable, disposable/recyclable, and low-power ion-controlled electronics on paper, making it attractive for application in sensors and concepts such as the “Internet-on-Things.”.publishersversionpublishe

Detection and Molecular Characterization of 9000-Year-Old Mycobacterium tuberculosis from a Neolithic Settlement in the Eastern Mediterranean

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the principal etiologic agent of human tuberculosis. It has no environmental reservoir and is believed to have co-evolved with its host over millennia. This is supported by skeletal evidence of the disease in early humans, and inferred from M. tuberculosis genomic analysis. Direct examination of ancient human remains for M. tuberculosis biomarkers should aid our understanding of the nature of prehistoric tuberculosis and the host/pathogen relationship.Methodology/Principal Findings: We used conventional PCR to examine bone samples with typical tuberculosis lesions from a woman and infant, who were buried together in the now submerged site of Atlit-Yam in the Eastern Mediterranean, dating from 9250-8160 years ago. Rigorous precautions were taken to prevent contamination, and independent centers were used to confirm authenticity of findings. DNA from five M. tuberculosis genetic loci was detected and had characteristics consistent with extant genetic lineages. High performance liquid chromatography was used as an independent method of verification and it directly detected mycolic acid lipid biomarkers, specific for the M. tuberculosis complex.Conclusions/Significance: Human tuberculosis was confirmed by morphological and molecular methods in a population living in one of the first villages with evidence of agriculture and animal domestication. The widespread use of animals was not a source of infection but may have supported a denser human population that facilitated transmission of the tubercle bacillus. The similarity of the M. tuberculosis genetic signature with those of today gives support to the theory of a long-term co-existence of host and pathogen

Intimate partner violence and childhood health outcomes in 37 sub-Saharan African countries: an analysis of demographic health survey data from 2011 to 2022

Background Understanding the contribution of intimate partner violence (IPV) to childhood health outcomes (eg, morbidity and mortality) is crucial for improving child survival in sub-Saharan Africa. This comprehensive study aimed to explore the associations between maternal exposure to physical, sexual, or emotional violence and adverse childhood health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We analysed Demographic Health Survey datasets from 37 sub-Saharan African countries from 2011 to 2022. A generalised linear mixed model was used to examine the associations between maternal physical violence, sexual violence, or emotional violence, and early childhood health outcomes (eg, acute respiratory infection, diarrhoea, undernutrition, and child mortality). A random effects meta-analysis was used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) for adverse childhood health outcomes. The odds of undernutrition and mortality were 55% and 58% higher among children younger than 5 years born to mothers who were exposed to physical and sexual violence, respectively. Findings 238 060 children younger than 5 years were included. Children whose mothers experienced physical violence (adjusted OR 1·33, 95% CI 1·29–1·42), sexual violence (1·47, 1·34–1·62), emotional violence (1·39, 1·32–1·47), or a combination of emotional and sexual violence (1·64, 1·20–2·22), or a combination of all the three forms of violence (1·88, 1·62–2·18) were associated with an increased odds of developing diarrhoeal disease. Similarly, children whose mothers experienced physical violence (1·43, 1·28–1·59), sexual violence (1·47, 1·34–1·62), emotional violence (1·39, 1·32–1·47), or a combination of emotional and sexual violence (1·48, 1·16–1·89), or a combination of all three forms of violence (1·66, 1·47–1·88) were positively associated with symptoms of acute respiratory infection. Interpretation We found a strong link between maternal exposure to IPV and health outcomes for children younger than 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa, with minor variations across countries. To address childhood morbidity and mortality attributed to IPV, interventions need to be tailored for specific countries. Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Comoros, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Uganda should be priority nations

Global, regional, and national incidence of six major immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: findings from the global burden of disease study 2019

BACKGROUND: The causes for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are diverse and the incidence trends of IMIDs from specific causes are rarely studied. The study aims to investigate the pattern and trend of IMIDs from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: We collected detailed information on six major causes of IMIDs, including asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis, between 1990 and 2019, derived from the Global Burden of Disease study in 2019. The average annual percent change (AAPC) in number of incidents and age standardized incidence rate (ASR) on IMIDs, by sex, age, region, and causes, were calculated to quantify the temporal trends. FINDINGS: In 2019, rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease accounted 1.59%, 36.17%, 54.71%, 0.09%, 6.84%, 0.60% of overall new IMIDs cases, respectively. The ASR of IMIDs showed substantial regional and global variation with the highest in High SDI region, High-income North America, and United States of America. Throughout human lifespan, the age distribution of incident cases from six IMIDs was quite different. Globally, incident cases of IMIDs increased with an AAPC of 0.68 and the ASR decreased with an AAPC of −0.34 from 1990 to 2019. The incident cases increased across six IMIDs, the ASR of rheumatoid arthritis increased (0.21, 95% CI 0.18, 0.25), while the ASR of asthma (AAPC = −0.41), inflammatory bowel disease (AAPC = −0.72), multiple sclerosis (AAPC = −0.26), psoriasis (AAPC = −0.77), and atopic dermatitis (AAPC = −0.15) decreased. The ASR of overall and six individual IMID increased with SDI at regional and global level. Countries with higher ASR in 1990 experienced a more rapid decrease in ASR. INTERPRETATION: The incidence patterns of IMIDs varied considerably across the world. Innovative prevention and integrative management strategy are urgently needed to mitigate the increasing ASR of rheumatoid arthritis and upsurging new cases of other five IMIDs, respectively. FUNDING: The Global Burden of Disease Study is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The project funded by Scientific Research Fund of Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital (2022QN38)