Effect of feed restriction on growth performance, carcass traits, and some hematological and blood biochemical parameters in growing rabbits.

Sixty-four male New Zealand White rabbits, 4 weeks old, were used to study the effects of feed restriction (FR) on growth performance, carcass traits, and some blood parameters. Rabbits were randomly allotted to 4 equal groups. The first group was fed ad libitum (control group). The second, third, and fourth groups were restricted from 4 to 8 (R4-8), 8 to 12 (R8-12), and 4 to 12 (R4-12) weeks of age, respectively. Restricted groups were fed 85% of the control. Means of live body weights (LBW), average daily gain weights (ADGW), relative growth rate (RGR) were calculated. Carcass traits and blood parameters were measured. Results showed that, FR reduced LBW, ADGW and RGR in R4-8 and R4-12 groups. However, FR did not impair the previous traits in R8-12 group. Carcass weight was not impaired in R8-12 group. However, FR reduced kidney fat in all restricted groups. Feed restriction reduced hemoglobin, red blood cell (RBC) and platelet levels in R4-8 and/or R4-12 groups. However, RBC and platelet levels were not altered in R8-12 group. Conclusively, FR impaired growth performance, carcass weight and blood parameters in R4-8 and R4-12 groups, however, the previous traits were not impaired in R8-12 group.

Visible-light-driven photodegradation of organic pollutants by simply exfoliated kaolinite nanolayers with enhanced activity and recyclability.

The need for abundant photocatalyst in wastewater treatment is currently a must. A simple intercalation process was utilized to exfoliate Kaolinite clay mineral structure Al2Si2O5(OH)4 into two-dimensional nanostructured separated layers operated in visible light range. The intercalating agents were hydrazine hydrate and urea. Detailed characterization confirmed the nanolayered structures of kaolinite hexagonal nanosheets (NK). In addition, Bandgap energy was reduced based on intercalating agents from 3.45 to 2.48 eV as revealed by light absorption spectra. The quenching of PL spectra for the nK has also been ascribed to the suppression of charge carrier recombination. The exfoliated nK was utilized to photodegrade Rhodamine B dye (RhB) and P-nitrophenol (PNP) as industrial pollutants in wastewater. The results showed 92.3% and 99.7% photodegradation of RhB and PNP within 180 min of visible-light irradiation utilizing the exfoliated NK by urea. We denote the boosted photocatalytic performance of this NK to the uncovered, low bandgap metal oxide inclusions on the exterior of NK besides the nitrogen doping due to exfoliation with urea. This simple exfoliation has modified abundant and stable clay nanolayers that are a promising alternative for the eminent nanostructured oxide photocatalysts to overcome the organic pollutants in wastewater at a high scale.

Effects of lighting source as an environmental strategy for heat stress amelioration in growing Californian rabbits during summer season.

The current work investigated the influences of different light sources on growth performance, carcass characteristics, blood biochemicals, physiological status and health aspects. One hundred and twenty growing California rabbits were assigned into four empirical collections in an experiment of completely randomized design. Rabbits of the first collection were reared under incandescent light bulbs (control), while the second, third and fourth collections were reared under fluorescent, saving light and LED light bulbs, respectively. The results indicated that rabbits reared under incandescent and LED had the heaviest body weight at 16-weeks-old. Rabbits reared under LED recorded the greatest gain during 14-16 weeks of age and 6-16 weeks of age. The lowest feed conversion ratio was observed in rabbits reared under LED lighting, during 14-16 weeks of age, and during the whole period without significant variations. Fat percentage (%) was low in rabbits exposed to fluorescent and LED. Rabbits grown under LED showed the lowest albumin/globulin and the highest glucose concentration. Rabbits kept under LED showed the lowest rectal temperature, mortality and health risks %. Conclusively, LED lighting source might be appropriate for alteration of incandescent and fluorescent light sources in rabbit farms to improve growth performance without compromising rabbit's carcass and welfare.

From waste to value-added products: Evaluation of activated carbon generated from leather waste for supercapacitor applications.

Leather tanning operations create a large amount of solid and liquid waste from tanning, wherein Cr(III) compounds are used to produce wet blue leather. In this study, activated carbon (AC) generated from leather waste (LW) was evaluated for supercapacitor (SC) applications. AC was produced through carbonization at a temperature range of 700°C-900 °C, followed by chemical activation. The morphological characteristics of the AC samples revealed a certain degree of porosity and a maximum surface area of 381 m2 g-1. X-ray diffraction and EDX examination showed the existence of graphitic planes in the LW-derived AC. Raman, FT-IR, and XPS confirmed the defect nature and surface functional groups of the AC samples. A three-electrode approach was employed to assess the electrochemical characteristics of the AC samples. The supreme capacitance of a sample (LW700) at 1 A/g was 550 F g-1 (237 C g-1) in a 6 M KOH electrolyte. All the electrochemical results (CV, GCD, and Nyquist curves) demonstrated that the LW carbon possessed a high specific capacitance and electrochemical cycle constancy, and hence is appropriate for SC fabrication. These desirable capacitive performances enable solid leather waste-derived carbons as a source of new materials for low-cost energy storage supercapacitors. This work put forwards a new concept of 'waste to value-added products' that can be a helping hand for leather industries and its solid waste management disposal problems.

Efficacy of dietary inclusion of biologically treated pruning peach trees by-products on growth performance, blood biochemicals and economic efficiency of New Zealand White rabbits.

This work examined the influences of partial replacement of clover hay with 15 or 30% of untreated pruning peach trees by-products (UPPT) or those biologically treated (BTPPT) with effective microorganisms (EM1) on growing rabbit performance. Seventy-five NZW weaned rabbits (6-weeks-old; average body weight 657 g) were assigned randomly into five groups. Five pelleted diets were used, control and other four diets (15 or 30% UPPT or BTPPT were replaced of clover hay). The biological treatments improved the chemical composition of pruning peach trees by-product, in terms of increasing crude protein and decreasing crude fiber as compared to UPPT. Final body weight, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and performance index values were enhanced when rabbits fed either 15 or 30% BTPPT. Digestibilities of crude protein, crude fiber, nitrogen free extract, total digestible nutrients and digestible energy were increased with rabbits fed diets containing BTPPT. Carcass traits studied, moisture, crude protein (CP), ash, ether extract (EE) of rabbits meat, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, total cholesterol, creatinine and urea were not different between the applied treatments. Net revenue and economic efficiency were increased with the biological treatment. Conclusively, BTPPT could be used up to 30% with positive effects on growth performance, physiological functions and economic efficiency in NZW growing rabbits.

Development of an ICU discharge instrument predicting psychological morbidity: a multinational study.

PURPOSE: To develop an instrument for use at ICU discharge for prediction of psychological problems in ICU survivors. METHODS: Multinational, prospective cohort study in ten general ICUs in secondary and tertiary care hospitals in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. Adult patients with an ICU stay ≥ 12 h were eligible for inclusion. Patients in need of neurointensive care, with documented cognitive impairment, unable to communicate in the local language, without a home address or with more than one limitation of therapy were excluded. Primary outcome was psychological morbidity 3 months after ICU discharge, defined as Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) subscale score ≥ 11 or Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms Checklist-14 (PTSS-14) part B score > 45. RESULTS: A total of 572 patients were included and 78% of patients alive at follow-up responded to questionnaires. Twenty percent were classified as having psychological problems post-ICU. Of 18 potential risk factors, four were included in the final prediction model after multivariable logistic regression analysis: symptoms of depression [odds ratio (OR) 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.50], traumatic memories (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.13-1.82), lack of social support (OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.47-7.32) and age (age-dependent OR, peak risk at age 49-65 years). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) for the instrument was 0.76 (95% CI 0.70-0.81). CONCLUSIONS: We developed an instrument to predict individual patients' risk for psychological problems 3 months post-ICU, http://www.imm.ki.se/biostatistics/calculators/psychmorb/ . The instrument can be used for triage of patients for psychological ICU follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02679157.

Vitamin D and autoimmunity.

OBJECTIVES: To review and evaluate the role of vitamin D in autoimmune diseases based on current studies. METHOD: We searched PubMed using keywords such as 'vitamin D', 'autoimmune disease', and 'autoimmunity'. We compiled and reviewed various studies including prospective cohorts, cross-sectional studies, longitudinal evaluations, genetic studies, and experimental models that investigated the role of vitamin D in autoimmune diseases. RESULTS: There is evidence based on these various studies that several key autoimmune diseases are modulated by vitamin D. These diseases include, but are not limited to, multiple sclerosis (MS), scleroderma or systemic sclerosis (SSc), autoimmune thyroid diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). CONCLUSIONS: Although there is evidence for vitamin D as a factor in the pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases, the mechanism for this association has yet to be elucidated. Additional data are needed to corroborate these findings.

Ultrasound guided percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy/automated needle core biopsy of abdominal lesions: effect on management and cost effectiveness.

AIMS: This prospective study was designed to determine whether ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy (PFNAB)/US-guided percutaneous needle core biopsy (PNCB) of abdominal lesions is efficacious in diagnosis, is helpful in treatment choice, to evaluate whether various other investigations can be avoided, especially invasive ones, its time (shortening hospitalization) and cost-effectiveness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total 159 US-guided PFNAB (67) and US-guided automated PNCB (92) of abdominal lesions were performed percutaneously in 150 patients; the youngest patient was a 3-month-old female and eldest was a 75-year-old female. The patient selection was irrespective of age, sex, or location of the abdominal lesion. These patients presented with abdominal mass/lesions, suspected malignancy, jaundice, and in some cases, however, biopsy was performed to determine the nature of indeterminate lesion (malignant / benign versus abscesses). They were 47 hepatobiliary, 6 pancreas, 24 gastrointestinal tract (GIT), 20 kidneys and urinary bladder, 20 prostate, 3 lymph nodes, 4 adrenals, 8 retroperitoneal, 13 ovaries, and 9 other types of lesions. We used free-hand technique (without biopsy attachment) in 129 cases, and transrectal and transvaginal with biopsy attachment was used in 30 cases. RESULTS: In 91.99% of cases, US-guided PFNAB/US-guided PNCB contributed significantly to diagnosis in which US-guided PFNAB/US-guided PNCB was the diagnostic test in 23.33% cases. It confirmed a highly suspected diagnosis in 64% patients, and indicated a specific diagnosis that was not suspected in the remaining 36%. In 57.33% cases, the results of US-guided PFNAB/US-guided PNCB, did not alter treatment choice but increased physician confidence in the choice. US-guided PFNAB/US-guided PNCB was responsible in avoiding 107 planned investigations, including 8 laparotomies, with no significant complications and decreasing length of stay and resulting in 20% cost savings. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the US-guided PFNAB/US-guided PNCB contributed significantly in diagnosis, and in most of the cases it did not change treatment choice but increased clinicians confidence in the choice. We can avoid the number of investigations, decrease morbidity and mortality, shorten hospitalization and cost by using these methods.

Impact of slime dispersants and anti-adhesives on in vitro biofilm formation of Staphylococcus epidermidis on intraocular lenses and on antibiotic activities.

OBJECTIVES: Infectious endophthalmitis has occurred despite the use of antibiotics in irrigating solutions during implantation of intraocular lenses (IOLs). This infection is generally resistant to antibiotic therapy and, therefore, removal of the implant is necessary before eradication of the infection. This study was designed to assess the role of chosen dispersants and anti-adhesives in inhibiting Staphylococcus epidermidis hydrophobicity, adhesion, slime production and subsequently biofilm formation on IOLs. METHODS: The relative activity of several potential slime dispersants and anti-adhesives on slime production, hydrophobicity and the adherence of S. epidermidis to IOLs and the degrees to which their effects enhance antibiotic activities were investigated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The MBCs of antibiotics against S. epidermidis strains in a biofilm increased 10-16 times compared with those against bacterial strains in suspension. Addition of slime dispersants or anti-adhesives reversed the susceptibility of the strains in a biofilm to that of bacteria in suspension. Slime production by S. epidermidis strains was significantly diminished by dispersants. Anti-adhesives, hyaluronan, heparin and carpobol 934 exerted less effects on slime production than dispersants. Addition of slime dispersants or anti-adhesives to cell cultures resulted in a significant reduction in bacterial surface hydrophobicity compared with control untreated cultures (at P < 0.001). Reduction of slime production and bacterial surface hydrophobicity led to a marked decrease in the adherence of S. epidermidis to IOLs. Slime dispersants were more effective at reducing bacterial adherence than anti-adhesives. Simultaneous use of antibiotics with slime dispersants or anti-adhesives will exert a more beneficial effect during IOL implantation.

Impact of cryopreservation and reactive oxygen species on DNA integrity, lipid peroxidation, and functional parameters in ram sperm.

Assisted reproduction using frozen-thawed semen has practical advantages, although cryopreservation is detrimental to sperm fertility in most mammals. We examined the influence of cryopreservation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) on ram sperm DNA stability (using SCSA), lipid peroxidation (LPO), chlortetracycline fluorescence (CTC) patterns, motility and viability. In Experiment 1, DNA integrity, LPO, CTC, motility and viability tests were performed on fresh and cryopreserved sperm after 0, 6, and 24 hr in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF). In Experiment 2, fresh sperm were incubated in serum-free SOF (SOF-S; 1, 4, and 24 hr) with 0, 50, 150, or 300 microM H2O2 then assayed. Cryopreservation increased the percentage of sperm with a high DNA fragmentation index (%DFI), decreased the percentages of motile and viable sperm at thawing (0 hr), but did not affect LPO. H2O2 (150 or 300 microM) increased %DFI after 24 hr. LPO or sperm viability were not affected by H2O2, although most motility parameters decreased. H2O2 decreased the percentage of chlortetracycline pattern F sperm at 4 hr and increased the percentage of acrosome-reacted sperm (pattern AR) after 1 hr. Pooled data of Experiment 2 showed LPO was positively correlated with SCSA (r = 0.29 to r = 0.59; P < 0.05 to P < 0.01), while most motility parameters and the percentage of viable sperm were negatively correlated with LPO (r = -0.30 to r = -0.38; P < 0.05 to P < 0.01). LPO was positively correlated with the percentage of pattern AR sperm (r = 0.33; P < 0.01). Cryopreservation and H2O2 promote DNA instability in ram sperm, though motility is a more sensitive indicator of oxidative stress than the other parameters investigated.

L-Carnitine halts apoptosis and myelosuppression induced by carboplatin in rat bone marrow cell cultures (BMC).

Carboplatin (CP), a second generation platinum compound, is effective against various types of cancers, producing less nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity but more myelotoxicity than cisplatinum. CP-myelosuppression is the rate-limiting step of its clinical use. Prevention of CP-myelosuppression is a major target in the field of chemotherapy. Therefore, the present study investigates the use of L-carnitine (LCR)-an antioxidant, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and immunostimulant nontoxic natural compound-to protect against CP-induced myelosuppression. The viability of BMC was studied using a trypan blue exclusion technique following incubation with CP and/or LCR as a function of time and concentration. Apoptosis was tested for by detecting the amount of DNA fragmentation and the visualization of DNA ladders upon gel electrophoresis. Bone marrow progenitor cell function was examined by colony forming unit assay. Cellular contents of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were also estimated. Results revealed that LC50 of CP is 4.7 mM and the highest safe concentration of LCR is 5 mM. Co-exposure of LCR+CP rescued BMC viability by 37% compared to the CP-treated cultures. The LCR halts CP-induced apoptosis and it significantly improves the function of the bone marrow progenitors by increasing the number of colony-forming units as a response to granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factors. Finally, LCR restores CP-induced GSH depletion and prevents MDA elevation in BMC. In summary, the results suggest that LCR is able to protect against CP-induced myelosuppression, which suggests its use as an adjuvant therapy. This finding merits further investigation into the mechanism(s) of such protection as well as its interaction with CP antitumor activity.

Cryopreservation of ram semen facilitates sperm DNA damage: relationship between sperm andrological parameters and the sperm chromatin structure assay.

We hypothesized that cryopreservation and incubation in conditions that mimic the female genital tract following insemination increases the susceptibility of ram sperm DNA to denaturation. Ram sperm samples (n = 12) underwent the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) and semen quality tests, including motility parameters, viability, and chlortetracycline fluorescence (CTC) patterns. We also assessed correlations between SCSA variables and semen quality parameters. Analyses were performed for both fresh and cryopreserved samples at 0, 3, and 20 hours of incubation in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF; 39 degrees C, 5% CO(2)). The SCSA variables, mean alpha t (X alpha(t)) and standard deviation of alpha t (SD alpha(t)), were higher because of cryopreservation (P <.05, P <.001, respectively) after 20 hours in SOF. For both fresh and frozen spermatozoa, SCSA values (X alpha(t), SD alpha(t), and the percentage of cells outside the main population of alpha(t) [%COMP alpha(t)]) increased during incubation in SOF. Motility was negatively correlated with both SD alpha(t) and %COMP alpha(t), ranging from -0.39 (P <.01) to -0.59 (P <.001) for both fresh and cryopreserved semen; viability also was negatively correlated with X alpha(t), SD alpha(t), or %COMP alpha(t) (-0.36; P <.05, -.40 and -.46; P <.01, respectively) in fresh semen. The %COMP alpha(t) was positively correlated to the percentage of CTC pattern AR (P <.001) and negatively correlated to the percentages of patterns F and B (-0.33 to -0.60, P <.05 to P <.001). Variation among ejaculates within ram was observed (P <.01). Cryopreservation clearly facilitates DNA damage in physiological conditions. The low to moderate correlations between SCSA variables and classical semen quality parameters indicate that the SCSA provides additional information to standard tests for evaluating ram sperm quality.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae clinical isolates.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of infection caused by invasive penicillinnonsusceptible (PNS) and multidrug-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae has become a worldwide concern, necessitating the epidemiologic surveillance of such strains. OBJECTIVES: One aim of this study was to identify clones of invasive PNS S pneumoniae among isolates in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The second aim was to compare these clones with international clones to track their spread in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The phenotypes of invasive isolates characterized as S pneumoniae were determined using susceptibility testing and serotyping (capsular test and E-test). The genotypes of PNS isolates were determined using random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis. The genetic relatedness of these local strains to the international widespread clones was investigated. RESULTS: Of 296 S pneumoniae isolates identified using biochemical and culture characteristics, 89 (30.1%) were invasive. Susceptibility testing using the E-test revealed that 17 of the 89 invasive isolates (19.1%) were PNS. Most of the 89 isolates (89.9%) were resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim; 32.6% and 23.6% of isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol and tetracycline, respectively. All of the isolates (100.0%) were fully susceptible to ceftriaxone and vancomycin. Capsular serotyping of the 89 isolates showed that 19A (18.0%), 613 (14.6%), 23F (13.5%), 9V (11.2%), 14 (6.7%), 19F (5.6%), and 18C (4.5%) were the most predominant serogroups/serotypes. The 17 PNS strains were confirmed on polymerase chain reaction to have penicillin resistance genes. Of these 17 strains, international clone 19A-a was the most predominant (41.2%), followed by 6B-a (17.6%), and 23F-a and 9V-a (each, 11.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The present study identified the spread of the 4 most commonPNS S pneumoniae isolates (clones)-19A, 613, 23F, and 9V-to Riyadh, but identified no new clones among patients having invasive infection with S pneumoniae in Riyadh. This study emphasizes that international PNS clones have contributed to the prevalence and spread of PNS pneumococci among the clinical isolates in Saudi Arabia.

Correlation between susceptibility and BRO type enzyme of Moraxella catarrhalis strains.

Clinical isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis (76 isolates) were screened for beta-lactamase production and antibiotic susceptibility. beta-Lactamases (detected in 90.8% of isolates) were typed using isoelectric focusing to BRO-1 (87%) and BRO-2 (13%). Minor variations in electrofocusing patterns between the two types were seen. Isolates expressing BRO type enzymes showed solid resistance to penicillin, ampicillin and cephalothin, in particular BRO-1 producers. BRO-1 isolates were less susceptible to cephems and to beta-lactamase inhibitors than BRO-2 isolates. Isolates harbouring BRO-1 enzymes have more enzymatic activity than those expressed by BRO-2 isolates. Apart from resistance to tetracycline (14.5%), all isolates were consistently susceptible to erythromycin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. The conjugal transfer of BRO beta-lactamase gene(s) between M. catarrhalis isolates occurred with a frequency of 10(-5) to 10(-7)/donor cell. The data emphasize the importance of M. catarrhalis as an etiological agent spreading beta-lactamases that may inhibit some beta-lactams and lead to failure in treatment of mixed infections.

Anaesthetic management for a patient with Dejerine-Sottas disease and asthma.

Dejerine-Sottas disease is a very uncommon degenerative disease of the peripheral nervous system. The details of perioperative anaesthetic management are discussed including the use of epidural anaesthesia, with supplemental intravenous anaesthesia and an LMA.

Different techniques to study rumen fermentation characteristics of maturing grass and grass silage.

Grass samples were harvested during the 1993 growing season after a precut on April 27, 1993 and were stored frozen or left to ensile in 30-L buckets. Effects on chemical composition and fermentation kinetics of the maturation of the grass and of ensiling were investigated. Chemical composition and fermentation kinetics were determined using the gas production technique, in vitro techniques, and the nylon bag technique. Two silage samples were also investigated in vivo. Maturation caused a decrease in crude protein content and organic matter degradability and an increase in neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and lignin contents. Degradation rates were highest for the youngest samples and decreased as grass and silage matured. This result could be observed from the first derivative of the cumulative gas production curves (i.e., the rate of gas production) and from the gas production parameters. The rate of degradation of the nonsoluble fraction of the young samples, determined using the gas production technique, was relatively higher in rumen fluid from a cow fed silage from grass cut at a young stage. More mature samples were degraded relatively faster in rumen fluid from a cow fed mature grass silage, suggesting a specific adaptation of the rumen microorganisms to the grass properties. There was a good relationship among the second phase of gas production (i.e., fermentation of the nonsoluble fraction), maturity of the grass and grass silage samples, degradability determined with the Tilley and Terry technique, and degradability determined after 46 h of incubation in rumen fluid. Results obtained with both of the different in vitro techniques and the nylon bag technique were confirmed by the in vivo experiments involving the two silage samples.

Detection of African horsesickness (AHS) in recently vaccinated horses with inactivated vaccine in Qatar.

Two 7-year old Arabian racing horses were reported to show typical AHS symptoms in Qatar and died shortly after. The horses had been vaccinated with formol inactivated vaccine approximately 10 days before the onset of the disease. Blood samples from these horses were collected and AHS virus isolated from one sample after intracerebral (i.c.) inoculation into suckling mice. The virus identity was confirmed by complement fixation test (CFT) using the virus antigen and reference type 9 of AHS virus hyperimmune serum. The serotype of the isolated virus was identified by serum neutralization test (SNT) using reference types of AHS virus. Two possibilities of the original source of this infection were suggested. The infection might be due first to the natural endemic occurrence of the virus in the country and secondly, to the presence of residual infectious virus in the inactivated vaccine.