Effects of Phytosterol in Feed on Growth and Related Gene Expression in Muscles of Broiler Chickens

Purpose: To investigate the effect of phytosterol in a feed on growth and gene expression of broiler chickens.Methods: Seven isonitrogenous diets with graded levels of polyhydroxy phytosterol(Castastesrone) (15, 20, and 25 g/kg diet) and hydroxyphytosterol (â-sitosterol) (25, 50, and 75 g/kg diet) were used to feed broiler chickens for 45 d.Results: The dietary phytosterol significantly improved (p < 0.05) the body weight and feed intake of broiler chickens, especially with the 75 g/kg diet. In contrast, phytosterol supplementation was associated with significant (p < 0.05) hypotriglyceridemic effects with concurrent modifications ofdepressed antioxidant defence systems in the broiler chickens. Myogen, eIF4E, and S6k1 gene expression levels in tissues were significantly (p < 0.05) improved by dietary phytosterol. mTOR gene expression levels in muscle tissues were increased significantly (p < 0.05), but myostatin  (GDF-8) and ubiquitin levels were significantly decreased (p < 0.05).Conclusion: These results suggest that giving immediate phytosterol feeding regimen to chicks is a good feeding program for appropriate morphological development of the pectoralis major muscle and the  expression of genes necessary for muscle cell proliferation and   differentiation. Furthermore, the data suggest that developmental decline in skeletal muscle protein synthesis, may be partly attributed to developmental regulation of the activation of growth factor and nutrient components.Keywords: Broiler chicken, Polyhydroxy phytosterol; Hydroxyphytosterol, Feed, Antioxidant status, Gene expression

The microhabitat preferences of water beetles in four rivers in Ourense province, Northwest Spain

We analysed the microhabitat preferences of water beetle species in four rivers in Northwest Spain. In each river, we sampled 5 sites with different types of substrate. These sites were characterised in situ according to the predominant material type (macrophytes, moss, pebbles and sand). The occurrence of a substrate preference was verified from a comparative study of species richness and abundance among different microhabitats. The differences in abundance and richness between substrates and in the abundance of each species were tested with an ANOVA. The similarity between microhabitats was tested with non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), and the correlation between fauna and substrates was verified with a correspondence analysis (CA). We observed different species distribution patterns, and these patterns reflected the microhabitat preference of each species. Both the ecological parameters and the correspondence analysis indicated that the preferred substrate for most of the species was moss, followed by pebbles.Se analiza la preferencia de microhabitat de especies de coleópteros acuáticos en cuatro ríos del noroeste de España. En cada río se muestrearon 5 puntos en diferentes tipos de sustrato caracterizados in situ en función del tipo de material predominante (macrófitas, musgo, cantos-gravas y arena). La preferencia de sustrato fue verificada mediante un estudio comparado de riqueza y abundancia de especies entre los diferentes microhábitats. Las diferencias entre los diferentes sustratos para la abundancia yriqueza,asícomoparala abundanciade cadaespeciefueron testadasmediante unanálisisANOVA.Lasimilitud entre microhábitats fue testada mediante un NMDS, mientras que la correlación entre la fauna y los sustratos, se verificó a partir de un análisis de correspondencias (CA). Se observaron diferentes patrones de distribución de las especies según su preferencia por determinados microhábitats. Tanto los parametros ecológicos de riqueza y abundancia como el análisis de correspondencias indican que el sustrato preferido por la mayoría de las especies fue el musgo, seguido de los cantos-gravas

The Impact of Launching Surgery at the District Level in Niger

BackgroundIn 2005, the Ministry of Health in association with the Faculty of Medicine of Niamey decided to launch surgery at the district hospital (DH) level as part of the health strategy for the country. Surgical procedures were provided by general practitioners who received 12 months of training in basic surgery.MethodsWhereas the initiative was launched nationwide, we chose randomly to study the region of Dosso during a 1-year time period of January 2007 to December 2007 in the three district hospitals as well as the regional hospital of Dosso.ResultsDuring the course of 1 year, 544 patients received operations in the three DHs, of which 37.9% (n = 206) were emergent and 62.1% (n = 338) were elective. The most common emergent interventions were cesarean sections (70%) and uterine ruptures (7.8%). For elective surgeries, hernia repairs comprised 80.8% of the cases. The mortality rate of emergent surgeries was 7.3 and 0% in the cases of elective surgeries. Of note, there was a large reduction in transfers to the regional hospital: 52% compared to 2006 and 82% compared to 2005. In 66.1% of the transfers, the cases consisted of fractures, and in 10.4% of abdominal trauma and critical thoracic emergencies. Further study of this initiative has highlighted other challenges, including that of human resources, equipment maintenance, provision of consumables, and the need for continued training.ConclusionsResults from this governmental initiative to provide surgery in rural district hospitals by general practitioners are promising and encouraging. In the rural district of Dosso, there have been no deaths from elective surgery, and the number of surgical transfers to the regional hospital has drastically diminished

Closing the praziquantel treatment gap: new steps in epidemiological monitoring and control of schistosomiasis in African infants and preschool-aged children

Where very young children come into contact with water containing schistosome cercariae, infections occur and schistosomiasis can be found. In high transmission environments, where mothers daily bathe their children with environmentally drawn water, many infants and preschool-aged children have schistosomiasis. This ‘new' burden, inclusive of co-infections with Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni, is being formally explored as infected children are not presently targeted to receive praziquantel (PZQ) within current preventive chemotherapy campaigns. Thus an important PZQ treatment gap exists whereby infected children might wait up to 4-5 years before receiving first treatment in school. International treatment guidelines, set within national treatment platforms, are presently being modified to provide earlier access to medication(s). Although detailed pharmacokinetic studies are needed, to facilitate pragmatic dosing in the field, an extended ‘dose pole' has been devised and epidemiological monitoring has shown that administration of PZQ (40 mg/kg), in either crushed tablet or liquid suspension, is both safe and effective in this younger age-class; drug efficacy, however, against S. mansoni appears to diminish after repeated rounds of treatment. Thus use of PZQ should be combined with appropriate health education/water hygiene improvements for both child and mother to bring forth a more enduring solutio

Health facility-based prevalence and potential risk factors of autism spectrum disorders in Mali

Background: The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is 1-2% worldwide, 1 in 68 in the U.S, and unknown in Africa. ASD is under-diagnosed in Mali due to stigma and the lack of appropriate human resources and infrastructure.Objective: To determine the ASD frequency and potential risk factors in Mali.Methods: We identified all the health facilities and community-based organizations involved in the ASD diagnosis and management in Bamako. We established an ASD research and awareness platform in Mali, which encompasses community-based organizations and a multidisciplinary team including psychiatrists, psychologists, pediatricians, geneticists, and public health and social science specialists. Through this platform, we performed a survey in health facilities and organizations where patients with ASD are likely to seek care in Bamako. We reviewed the psychiatric patient registry to obtain basic epidemiological profiles of children with ASD, epilepsy and other psychiatric disorders.Results: We found a health facility-based prevalence of ASD of 4.5% (105/2,343) in Bamako. The mean age at the first outpatient visit was 7.64 ± 3.85 years old. First degree consanguinity of 29.5% (31/105) was more frequent in parents of ASD children versus age and sex matched controls OR= 4.37 [1.96-9.76] p=0.0001.Conclusion: Our data suggest that ASD is more common than expected in Mali. The established ASD awareness and research platform may improve the diagnosis and management of ASD by raising ASD awareness, training of Malian clinicians and researchers in early ASD screening and diagnosis, and strengthening research capacity in genomics of ASD and other mental disorders.Keywords: ASD, prevalence, consanguinity, health facilit