Effects of Six Natural Compounds and Their Derivatives on the Control of Coccidiosis in Chickens.

Chicken coccidiosis costs the poultry industry over GBP 10 billion per year. The main method of preventing and controlling coccidiosis in chickens continues to be the use of drugs. Unfortunately, the prevalence of drug resistance in the field reduces or even eliminates the effectiveness of drugs, and drug residues in the food supply chain can also can be harmful to humans. Therefore, safe and effective anticoccidial drugs are urgently needed. Natural products have many advantages such as being safe, effective and inexpensive and are a sustainable way to control coccidiosis. In this study, the anticoccidial effects of six natural compounds were tested by Eimeria tenella infection. Oocyst production, cecum lesion, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and intestinal microbiota were measured. The results showed that nerolidol had a moderate effect on maintaining both body weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Silymarin and dihydroartemisinin showed significant anticoccidial effects by reducing total oocyst output. Dihydroartemisinin also significantly reduced the cecum lesion caused by Eimeria infection, but this compound may be toxic to the host at such informed doses because it decreases growth and survival rates. In addition, both silymarin and dihydroartemisinin partly restored the microbiota after challenge. This indicates that silymarin, dihydroartemisinin, and nerolidol are effective in the control of chicken coccidiosis. Our data provide basic knowledge about the anticoccidial effects of such natural compounds/derivates.

Clinical and Dynamic Computed Tomography Features of 24 Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019.

PURPOSE: To explore the clinical and dynamic computed tomography features of coronavirus disease 2019. METHODS: We enrolled 24 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 treated at a regional center in Dezhou, China, from January 22 to February 5, 2020, and analyzed data retrospectively. RESULTS: Nineteen cases had close contact with people with coronavirus disease 2019, and five patients denied a travel history in Wuhan City or contact with patients having coronavirus disease 2019. Symptoms were fever, cough, chest tightness, dyspnea, fatigue, and muscle pain. Chest computed tomography showed multiple ground-glass opacities distributed along peribronchial bundles and subpleural areas, often accompanied by bronchiectasis, vascular thickening, and interlobular septal thickening after coronavirus disease 2019 progression. CONCLUSIONS: Coronavirus disease 2019 has certain clinical characteristics and typical computed tomography features.

Computerized Tomography (CT) Updates and Challenges in Diagnosis of Bone Metastases During Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. This cancer is often associated with indolent tumors with little or no lethal potential. Some of the patients with aggressive prostate cancer have increased morbidity and early deaths. A major complication in advanced prostate cancer is bone metastasis that mainly results in pain, pathological fractures, and compression of spinal nerves. These complications in turn cause severe pain radiating to the extremities and possibly sensory as well as motor disturbances. Further, in patients with a high risk of metastases, treatment is limited to palliative therapies. Therefore, accurate methods for the detection of bone metastases are essential. Technical advances such as single-photon emission computed tomography/ computed tomography (SPECT/CT) have emerged after the introduction of bone scans. These advanced methods allow tomographic image acquisition and help in attenuation correction with anatomical co-localization. The use of positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT) scanners is also on the rise. These PET scanners are mainly utilized with 18F-sodium-fluoride (NaF), in order to visualize the skeleton and possible changes. Moreover, NaF PET/CT is associated with higher tracer uptake, increased target-to-background ratio and has a higher spatial resolution. However, these newer technologies have not been adopted in clinical guidelines due to lack of definite evidence in support of their use in bone metastases cases. The present review article is focused on current perspectives and challenges of computerized tomography (CT) applications in cases of bone metastases during prostate cancer.

MRI Combined with Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography for Diagnosis of Benign and Malignant Pancreatic Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms.

BACKGROUND: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are among the important premalignant lesions. Early detection and intervention are critical to positive patient outcomes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to evaluate the malignancy of IPMNs, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is recommended for follow-up of pancreatic cystic lesions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of MRI combined with MRCP in determining the malignant potential of pancreas IPMN. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 55 patients with 58 pancreatic lesions confirmed after surgery, which were analyzed and divided into two groups, a benign IPMN group (n = 27) and a malignant IPMN group (n = 31). Two radiologists analyzed the high-risk stigmata and worrisome features of pancreas IPMN to evaluate the malignant potential. Score all the lesions as proposed by the international consensus guidelines 2012, and calculate the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. RESULTS: There were significant differences of size, enhancement of solid components, and degree of dilation of the main pancreatic duct between benign and malignant IPMN (P < 0.05). However, differences in gender, age and location of disease between the two groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI combined with MRCP in preoperative diagnosis of malignant IPMNs were 90.3% (28/31), 70.4% (19/27) and 81.0% (47/58) respectively, when at least one worrisome feature was present. CONCLUSION: MRI combined with MRCP is useful in the evaluation of the benign and malignant pancreas IPMN.

Population ecology of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) at Nanwan Nature Reserve, Hainan, China.

Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) at the Nanwan peninsula of Hainan Island, China, have been observed in the field for 25 years, and have been studied intensively for eight years, beginning in 1981. There were about 115 monkeys in 5 natural groups when the Nanwan Reserve was founded in 1965. From 1965 to 1984, the number of groups increased from 5 to 19, and the total population increased from 115 to 930 individuals, an annual population increase of 12.7%. From 1984 to 1987, the population continued a slower rate of increase (8.9%) to approximately 1200 monkeys in 20 groups. The home ranges of each monkey group at Nanwan varied from 0.16 to 0.72 km2, with a mean and standard deviation of 0.37 ± 0.18. The size of the home range of the rhesus was affected by the quality of vegetation and rhesus population density. The average birth rate per year was 77.8 ± 13.9%, varying from 53.8% to 100% since 1978. From 1978, the birth rates of two food provisioned groups were higher in alternate years (x̄ = 91.7%) and lower in intervening years (x̄ = 68.8%; P = <0.01). A minority (26.5%) of females have given birth at 4 years of age, most at 5 years. The sex ratio of newborns in any one year varied from 0.3 to 3.5 males to females, with a mean and standard error of 1.09 ± 0.37 males to females.