On spectral radius and energy of complete multipartite graphs

Let K n1,n2,...,np denote the complete p-partite graph, p > 1, on n = n 1 + n 2 + · · · + n p vertices and let n 1 ≥ n 2 ≥ · · · ≥ n p > 0. We show that for a fixed value of n, both the spectral radius and the energy of complete p-partite graphs are minimal for complete split graph CS(n, p − 1) and are maximal for Turán graph T (n, p)

Formulation, characterization and wound-healing potential of emulgel and in-situ gel containing root extract of Saussurea lappa Clarke (Asteraceae)

Purpose: To investigate the wound-healing potential of herbal formulations (emulgels and in situ gels) containing Saussurea lappa root extract  (SLRE) via excision wound induction in albino rats. Methods: Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the methanol extract of roots of Saussurea lappa (SLRE) was performed using standard  procedures. In vitro anti-inflammatory assay of SLRE was conducted using heat-induced hemolysis method at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. Acute  toxicity of SLRE was also evaluated in mice at a single dose of 1000 mg/kg for 24 h. Emulgels and in situ gels were prepared using different concentrations of SLRE and assessed for their organoleptic and physical properties. In vitro drug release studies of the prepared formulations were carried out by Franz diffusion cell and the data fitted into various pharmacokinetic models. Wound healing was assessed using excision wound induction (380 mm2) on dorsal surface of male albino rats. Each formulation (F4, F5, F6, G1, G2 and G3) and pyodine gel (standard) were applied topically (0.5 g) for 20 days. Wound contraction was measured every fourth day. Results: SLRE showed 42.8 % inhibition in heat-induced hemolysis on erythrocyte membrane model, compared to aspirin (positive control).  Moreover, SLRE did not cause mortality in mice at the given doses. All the formulations were stable after one month stability check at 40 °C for emulgels and at 25 °C for in situ gels. All the formulations followed first order drug release pattern. In situ gel (G3) exhibited better wound healing (100 ± 0.0028) than emulgel (F6, 99 ± 0.004) containing 5 g extract and standard pyodine gel (91 ± 0.014, p <0.05). Conclusion: The results indicate that in situ gel of SLRE exhibits significant wound healing in rats. Thus, the findings present a strategy for the formulation of gel products with better wound healing potentials. Keywords: Saussurea lappa, Wound healing, Emulgel, In situ gel, Herbal formulatio

Efficacy of mannan-oligosaccharide and live yeast feed additives on performance, rumen morphology, serum biochemical parameters and muscle morphometric characteristics in buffalo calves

The objective of the current study was to assess the effect of dietary supplementations of mannan-oligosaccharide, live yeast, and a combination of these two additives on growth performance, histo-morphology of the rumen, and muscle morphometric attributes in buffalo calves. A total of twenty buffalo calves (average weight of 25 kg) having 3 months of age were distributed according to a complete randomized design. All animals were individually stalled in the shed and were fed ad-libitum. Experimental animals were divided into four groups for 67 days: Control group(without the inclusion of dietary supplementation); MOS group (Mannan oligosaccharide 5 g/clave/day; Yeast group (Live yeast 2g/calve/day) and Mixed group (MOS + Live Yeast 2.5g + 1g )/calve/day. Experimental results revealed that combined supplementation of MOS and Yeast and MOS alone resulted in an increased number of short-chain fatty acids in the rumen as well as ruminal pH (P<0.05). Results showed a significant improvement in average daily gain and FCR of MOS and Mixed supplemented groups (P<0.05). Histomorphological evaluation of rumen mucosal epithelium showed a significant improvement in the mixed-supplemented group (P<0.05) as compared to the yeast-supplemented and control groups. Muscle quality parameters such as meat texture showed significant improvement in MOS and mix-supplemented groups. Histological examination of longissimus dorsi muscle cross-section showed a significantly higher(P<0.05) muscle fiber and muscle fascicle diameter in both MOS and mix-supplemented calves groups. In conclusion, the results of this experiment revealed that the dietary addition of MOS, Live yeast, and their combination have positive effects on growth performance, rumen histology indices, and muscle morphometric features in buffalo calves.Comment: Pages 13, 4 figure

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

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

The potential of antioxidant rich essential oils against avian coccidiosis

The poultry industry is currently facing a serious problem of controlling coccidiosis, owing to the development of drug resistance against commonly available anticoccidials. Furthermore, an increasing demand in the consumers for drug residue free poultry and poultry products has led to the development of alternative strategies for the treatment and control of avian coccidiosis. In response to the invasion of Eimeria species in coccidiosis, oxidative stress is created by host cellular response which imparts pathology to the host tissue besides damaging the parasite. Hence, in order to alleviate the damage caused by oxidative stress during coccidiosis, the use of essential oils (EOs) rich in antioxidant compounds is being considered as an appealing approach. However, results are very divergent and often not as satisfactory as expected. Essential oils, as natural products, obtained from aromatic plants have the potential to serve as an alternate to anticoccidials. The present work aims to review the current state of knowledge, informative collection of results obtained over the years and to attain a critical decision in aspects of the use of EOs as anticoccidials

Supplementation of Selenium Nanoparticles-Loaded Chitosan Improves Production Performance, Intestinal Morphology, and Gut Microflora in Broiler Chickens

The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), combined or loaded with chitosan (COS), in broiler chickens reared under standard management protocols. The parameters under investigation were production performance, organ development, components of the intestinal barrier, and ileal microbial count. Two hundred and forty day-old chicks were raised in five groups, with each group containing eight replicates (n＝6/replicate). The control group received a basal diet whereas the other four groups received basal diets supplemented with SeNPs (0.5 mg/kg), COS (200 mg/kg), SeNPs+COS (0.5 mg/kg SeNPs + 200 mg/kg COS), and SeNPs-loaded COS (SeNPs-L-COS) (200 mg/kg) respectively. On day 35, two birds/replicate were sampled to collect the viscera under investigation. The results revealed that dietary inclusion of SeNPs-L-COS increased (p&lt;0.05) the body weight gain and improved (p&lt;0.05) feed conversion ratio. Similarly, SeNPs-L-COS supplementation increased (p&lt;0.05) the small intestinal villus surface area as well as the count of acidic goblet cells and intraepithelial lymphocytes when compared with the control group. Whereas the total goblet cell count was higher (p&lt;0.05) in the small intestines of both the SeNPs+COS and SeNPs-L-COS groups. Microbial analysis of ileal contents also revealed an increase (p&lt;0.05) in Lactobacilli species count with a concurrent decrease (p&lt;0.05) in Escherichia coli count in the SeNPs-L-COS group when compared with the COS and control groups. Based on the results of the current trial, we can conclude that supplementation with SeNPs-L-COS is a superior combination for promoting the gut health and performance of broilers

Molecular screening of Pakistani rice germplasm for xa5 gene resistance to bacterial blight

The narrow genetic base of cultivated rice cause vulnerability to bacterial blight (BB) because of an increased frequency of newly evolved pathotypes of greater virulence. Pyramiding of known resistance genes or scouting of new genes with a wider resistance spectrum, are the alternatives for breeding varieties with durable resistance. Molecular and conventional approaches were used to identify rice germplasm for the presence of xa5, a bacterial blight resistance gene. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers specific for xa5 resistances gene were used in the study. During this polymorphic study, out of 60 rice lines, 31 were observed with xa5 gene, while 29 showed the absence of xa5 gene. Pakistani Basmati varieties were also surveyed. Out of the ten Pakistani Basmati varieties, Kashmir Basmati, Basmati Pak, Shahley Basmati and Basmati-622 had the xa5 gene, while Basmati-385, Basmati-2000, Basmati-370, Basmati-198, Super Basmati and Dokri Basmati showed the absence of xa5 gene. Identification of xa5 gene in Pakistani rice germplasm will help in accelerating the breeding program including pyramiding of different disease resistant genes in basmati and other cultivated varieties.Key words: Rice, germplasm, xa5, bacterial blight, near isogenic lines