Application of biologics to feedstuff

The application of biologics additives from enzyme, prebiotics and probiotics to improve the feedstuff utilization and animal growth is an aim for safety and hygiene animal products. These additives are gradually replacing the antibiotics. As biotechnology develops to meet animal demand, high bioavailability and low production cost technological products will be novel feed additives, including high production efficiency transformed microorganism and probiotics of transformed enzyme gene or raw material of feedstuff using biotechnology (e.g. fermentation) to enhance nutritive value. However, the availability of these biotechnological products shall be proved by the animal feeding trial.Keywords: Enzyme, feed additives, fermentation, probioticsAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(6), pp. 526-53

Nuclear wastewater decontamination by 3D-Printed hierarchical zeolite monoliths

3D-printed monoliths of zeolites chabazite and 4A were made, characterized, and shown effective for removing strontium and caesium from water

Nursing Students’ Clinical Confidence In Caring Tuberculosis: Indonesian Version Of The U.S Tuberculosis Curriculum Consortium Survey Using Rasch Analysis

Background: Nursing students who are prepared in clinical practicums to comprehend the knowledge, reflect their beliefs about tuberculosis instruction, and perceive their abilities in caring for tuberculosis patients are also at risk. Nursing students’ clinical confidence in caring for tuberculosis patients is essential to be assessed. Knowledge, beliefs, and clinical confidence, as unidimensional constructs based on Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, had been used in the US National Tuberculosis Curriculum Consortium (NTCC) survey for nursing students. This study's objective was to investigate the Indonesian version of the NTCC survey among nursing students' experiences caring for tuberculosis patients.   Methods: A quantitative study with cross-sectional using an online survey among 250 students 1st to 3rd-yearrd year students in one faculty of nursing in Banten, Indonesia. Prior to data collection, NTCC surveys were translated backward and forward, reviewed by experts, and tested in a pilot project.   Results: Internal consistency using Rasch analysis on each subscale showed good results and gave strong evidence that three subscales are unidimensional. There was an item separation index and reliability score, in that order: knowledge about tuberculosis (8.68 and 0.99), beliefs regarding tuberculosis instructions (6.50 and 0.98), and clinical confidence in caring for tuberculosis patients (6.29 and 0.98).   Conclusion: The Indonesian version of the NTCC survey has excellent internal consistency. This instrument might be improved since the original instrument is 13 years old and there is a cultural gap between the US and Indonesia. Moreover, this instrument might be needed for improving tuberculosis teaching in the nursing curriculum in Indonesia

In vivo sub-femtoliter resolution photoacoustic microscopy with higher frame rates

Microscopy based on non-fluorescent absorption dye staining is widely used in various fields of biomedicine for 400 years. Unlike its fluorescent counterpart, non-fluorescent absorption microscopy lacks proper methodologies to realize its in vivo applications with a sub-femtoliter 3D resolution. Regardless of the most advanced high-resolution photoacoustic microscopy, sub-femtoliter spatial resolution is still unattainable, and the imaging speed is relatively slow. In this paper, based on the two-photon photoacoustic mechanism, we demonstrated a in vivo label free laser-scanning photoacoustic imaging modality featuring high frame rates and sub-femtoliter 3D resolution simultaneously, which stands as a perfect solution to 3D high resolution non-fluorescent absorption microscopy. Furthermore, we first demonstrated in vivo label-free two-photon acoustic microscopy on the observation of non-fluorescent melanin distribution within mouse skin

EXPLORING E-LEARNING BEHAVIOR THROUGH LEARNING DISCOURSES

As many studies predict e-learning behaviors through intention, few of them investigate user’s learning behaviors directly. In addition to intention, individual’s e-learning behaviors may be influenced by technology readiness and group influences, such as social identity and social bond. This research-in-progress study explores how e-learning behaviors vary with intention, technology readiness, social identity and social bond. Our investigation was based on analyzing the speech acts embedded in fourteen learners’ online discourses in an eighteen-week e-learning course. We then compared how speech acts varied among groups with different degree of intention, technology readiness, social identity, and social bond. Our findings contribute e-learning research by clarifying how intention, technology readiness, social identity, and social bond influence learning behaviors in e-learning context

Nutrition and the prevalence of dementia in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan: an ecological study.

BACKGROUND: Western diets are associated with obesity, vascular diseases, and metabolic syndrome and might increase dementia risk in later life. If these associations are causal, those low- and middle-income countries experiencing major changes in diet might also see an increasing prevalence of dementia. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of dietary supply and the prevalence of dementia in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan over time using existing data and taking diagnostic criteria into account. METHODS: Estimated total energy supply and animal fat from the United Nations was linked to the 70 prevalence studies in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan from 1980 to 2012 according to the current, 10 years, and 20 years before starting year of investigation. Studies using newer and older diagnostic criteria were separated into two groups. Spearman's rank correlation was calculated to investigate whether trends in total energy, animal fat supply, and prevalence of dementia were monotonically related. RESULTS: The supply of total energy and animal fat per capita per day in China increased considerably over the last 50 years. The original positive relationship of dietary supply and dementia prevalence disappeared after stratifying by newer and older diagnostic criteria and there was no clear time lag effect. CONCLUSION: Taking diagnostic criteria into account, there is no cross-sectional or time lag relationship between the dietary trends and changes in dementia prevalence. It may be too early to detect any such changes because current cohorts of older people did not experience these dietary changes in their early to mid-life.There is no specific funding contributing to this study. Yu-Tzu Wu received a PhD scholarship from Cambridge Trust, University of Cambridge. William B. Grant received funding from Bio-Tech Pharmacal (Fayetteville, AR) and the Sunlight Research Forum (Veldhoven) and has received funding from the UVFoundation (McLean, VA), the Vitamin D Council (San Luis Obispo, CA), and the Vitamin D Society (Canada). A. Matthew Prina was supported by the Medical Research Council [grant number MR/K021907/1].This is the final published version. It first appeared at http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JAD-141926

Strong interfacial exchange field in the graphene/EuS heterostructure

Exploiting 2D materials for spintronic applications can potentially realize next-generation devices featuring low-power consumption and quantum operation capability. The magnetic exchange field (MEF) induced by an adjacent magnetic insulator enables efficient control of local spin generation and spin modulation in 2D devices without compromising the delicate material structures. Using graphene as a prototypical 2D system, we demonstrate that its coupling to the model magnetic insulator (EuS) produces a substantial MEF (> 14 T) with potential to reach hundreds of Tesla, which leads to orders-of-magnitude enhancement in the spin signal originated from Zeeman spin-Hall effect. Furthermore, the new ferromagnetic ground state of Dirac electrons resulting from the strong MEF may give rise to quantized spin-polarized edge transport. The MEF effect shown in our graphene/EuS devices therefore provides a key functionality for future spin logic and memory devices based on emerging 2D materials in classical and quantum information processing

Isolated tracheal injury after whiplash

AbstractWhiplash, a sudden acceleration–deceleration movement that can cause diverse symptoms such as neck pain, cervicogenic headache, restricted neck movement, tingling of the arms (central cord syndrome), and dizziness. However, laryngotracheal injuries after whiplash are extremely rare. We report the case of a 25-year-old Taiwanese female who presented to the emergency department with severe posterior midline neck pain after a rear-end motorcycle collision. Her C-spine X-ray showed no definite fracture; furthermore, her neck noncontrast-enhanced CT scan revealed paratracheal free air. She was discharged uneventfully after a 12-h observation period. Laryngotracheal injuries after whiplash, a hyperextension–hyperflexion movement, are potentially life-threatening and could lead to airway obstruction. Such injuries should not be overlooked. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of isolated laryngotracheal injury after whiplash