The potential mechanistic insights and future implications for the effect of prebiotics on poultry performance, gut microbiome, and intestinal morphology.

Prebiotics may modify the biological processes in the chickens' gastrointestinal tract to improve poultry performance and health. Prebiotics are natural feed additives that offer many economic advantages by decreasing mortality rates, increasing growth rates, and improving birds' feed efficiency. Prebiotic action potentially affects the degradation of indigestible dietary compounds, the synthesis of nitrogen components and vitamins, and simplifies the removal of undesirable elements in the diet. Prebiotics could also induce desirable gut microbiome modifications and affect host metabolism and immune health. It is worth mentioning that gut bacteria metabolize the prebiotic compounds into organic compounds that the host can subsequently use. It is important to limit the concept of prebiotics to compounds that influence the metabolism of resident microorganisms. Any medicinal component or feed ingredient beneficial to the intestinal microecosystem can be considered a prebiotic. In this review, the impacts of prebiotics on the gut microbiome and physiological structure are discussed, emphasizing the poultry's growth performance. The current review will highlight the knowledge gaps in this area and future research directions.

Quality enhancement of frozen Nile tilapia fillets using rosemary and thyme oil / [Melhoria da qualidade de filetes de tilápia do Nilo congelados com óleo de alecrim e tomilho]

The food industry and the frozen fish sector in particular have benefitted greatly from advancements in food processing technologies. This study investigated the effect of adding natural antioxidants such as rosemary and thyme oil to frozen fillets of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in order to preserve their quality for consumers. Fillets were treated with rosemary and thyme at two concentrations (1% and 1.5%) and then were stored at 4°C. Samples were analyzed over 4 days for bacteriological (aerobic plate count, psychotropic count, and coliform count), chemical (determination of pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances-TBARS, and total volatile base nitrogen-TVB-N), and sensory quality examination (color, texture, and odor). Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed among different groups in terms of aerobic plate count, psychotropic count, and coliform count during the storage. Moreover, pH, TVB-N, and TBARS mean values in the treated groups were lower than those in the untreated group. The best sensory quality was obtained at the highest concentrations (1.5%) of thyme and rosemary oil.(AU)

A indústria de alimentos e o setor de peixes congelados, em particular, se beneficiaram dos avanços nas tecnologias de processamento de alimentos. Este estudo investigou o efeito da adição de antioxidantes naturais, como óleo de alecrim e tomilho, a filetes congelados de tilápia do Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus), a fim de preservar sua qualidade para os consumidores. Os filés foram tratados com alecrim e tomilho em duas concentrações (1% e 1,5%) e, em seguida, foram armazenados a 4°C. As amostras foram analisadas durante 4 dias para análises bacteriológicas (contagem de placas aeróbicas, psicotrópicas e coliformes), químicas (determinação do pH, substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico-TBARS e nitrogênio base volátil total-TVB-N) e exame da qualidade sensorial (cor, textura e odor). Diferenças significativas (P<0,05) foram observadas entre os diferentes grupos na contagem aeróbia de placas, contagem psicotrópica e contagem de coliformes durante o armazenamento. Além disso, os valores médios de pH, TVB-N e TBARS nos grupos tratados foram inferiores aos do grupo não tratado. A melhor qualidade sensorial foi obtida nas maiores concentrações (1,5%) de tomilho e óleo de alecrim.(AU)

Surgery versus surgery plus pamidronate in the management of osteogenesis imperfecta patients: a comparative study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of pamidronate in the management of osteogenesis imperfecta patients. This study was carried out in two groups. The first was treated only surgically whereas the second was treated by a combined approach, medical and surgical. Forty patients, divided into two groups, were surgically treated in order to correct bony deformities secondary to osteogenesis imperfecta. Group 1: twenty patients were operated at an average age of 6.5 years. Nine were type I, five type III and six type IV. Group 2: this group consisted of 20 patients to whom intermittent intravenous pamidronate were given at regular intervals for an average of 2 years postoperatively. The average age at surgery was 8.5 years. Four patients were type I, six type III, eight type IV, one type V and the remaining one type VII. The results were assessed according to a scoring system suggested and used by the authors since 1999. Group 1: we had three good, nine fair and eight poor results. Group 2: we had 11 excellent, four good and five fair results. The Bone mineral dens (BMD) increased by an average of 35.2% (22.7-112%), and the rate of refracture decreased. Best results in the management of patients can be obtained through the combined approach (surgical and medical treatment). We now advise preoperative and postoperative pamidronate for these patients.

Load distribution in osseointegrated implant supporting extended and non extended dentures.

There is a controversy among prosthodontists concerning the most favourable superstructure design of a prosthesis supported by implants. Some investigators used the fully extended denture, others used a non extended. This study evaluated the load distribution pattern occurring in implants with the two designs. A real clinical situation which includes 4 osseointegrated implants that are connected to each other with a superstructure bar and support an acrylic dentures was transferred into a 3-D geometric model. With the 3-D FEM it was possible to compare between the two types of acrylic dentures.

Phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive disorder: a transcultural study.

Ninety patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and diagnosed according to International Classification of Diseases (10th edition [ICD-10]) criteria attending the outpatient clinic of the Institute of Psychiatry in Cairo in 1991-1992 were assessed by the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) for symptomatology and severity of symptoms. Sixty-nine percent of the patients were males, and 32% were females. The mean age of the sample was 23.7 years, with a mean duration of OCD of 3.2 years. Twenty percent of patients had a positive family history for OCD. Forty percent of patients presented with a mixture of obsessions and compulsions, whereas 29% presented with obsessions and 31% with compulsions. The most commonly occurring obsessions were religious and contamination obsessions (60%) and somatic obsessions (49%), and the most commonly occurring compulsions were repeating rituals (68%), cleaning and washing compulsions (63%), and checking compulsions (58%). Seventy-one percent of patients were rated severe on the Y-BOCS, and all of them had impaired insight; 9% were insightless. The age of patients was found to correlate positively with the total compulsive score and the total Yale BOCS score, but it correlated negatively with the total obsessive score. One third of patients had a comorbid depressive disorder. Regarding premorbid personality disorders, 14% had obsessive personality disorder, 34% had paranoid, anxious, or emotionally labile personality disorder, and 52% had no premorbid personality disorder. The role of religious upbringing has been evident in the phenomenology of OCD in Egypt, which is similar to the outcomes of studies in Jerusalem and different from results in India and Britain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)