Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of dose and formulation of carvacrol and thymol on bacteria and some functional traits of the gut in piglets after weaning

Two trials were conducted to study the effects of dose and formulation of carvacrol and thymol on bacterial counts, metabolites and functional traits of the gut in weaned piglets. In the first experiment (Exp. I), 25 piglets (28 d, 6.59 ± 0.48 kg BW) were allocated to five dietary treatments: a control diet, or the same diet supplemented with either carvacrol or thymol at doses of 500 and 2000 mg kg−1. In the second experiment (Exp. II), 35 piglets (28 d, 7.99 ± 0.73 kg BW) were assigned to seven dietary treatments: the same control diet as in Exp. I, or this diet supplemented with thymol in one of three formulations (on celite, on alphacel or microencapsulated) at doses of 500 and 2000 mg kg−1. At 11/12 days post-weaning piglets were euthanised, and digesta from stomach, proximal and distal small intestine were sampled for bacteriological and biochemical analysis. Small intestinal tissue was sampled for histo-morphological determinations. In none of the experiments or sections of the gut was the number of bacteria lowered by the carvacrol or thymol supplementation. In Exp. I, the villus/crypt ratio at the distal small intestine for the experimental diets (1.30–1.32) was higher than for the control diet (1.24) (p < 0.05). Thymol fed animals in Exp. II had a lower number of intra-epithelial lymphocytes at the proximal (p < 0.05) and at the distal (p < 0.1) small intestine as compared to control animals. Mean concentration of the active ingredient in the stomach and proximal small intestine for the 2000 mg kg−1 carvacrol diet was 521 and 5 mg kg−1 fresh digesta, respectively, and for the 2000 mg kg−1 thymol diets it ranged between 475 and 647 and between 13 and 24 mg kg−1 fresh digesta, respectively. Cumulative absorption in the proximal small intestine was higher than 90% for all treatments and was not affected by formulation type. These data suggest that carvacrol and thymol can improve gut health, but evidence for clear antimicrobial effects towards the major culturable bacteria of the pig foregut is limited.
Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment of Malaria in Children That Presented with Fever in Lagos, Nigeria

Background. Malaria diagnosis has been largely done clinically. The implication is the likely overdiagnosis of malaria when diagnosis is done soley on the basis of symptoms. Methods. Parasitological diagnosis was done among 1211, 0–12 years old febrile children that attended a Primary Health Centre in Lagos, Nigeria, who were diagnosed clinically and treated based on symptoms. Results. A total of 251 of 1,211 (20.7%) children less than 12 years old and 174 of the 1,027 of children 0–≤5 yrs (16.9%) were slide positive while 853 (83.1%) of 0–≤5 yrs that were slide negative were treated with Artemisinin based combination therapies (ACTs) in line with the Integrated Management of Childhood Infectioins (IMCI) guidelines and standard practice of the Clinic. Chills, diarrhoea, convulsions, headache, cough, respiratory distress, inactivity, loss of apetite, and vomiting occured significantly in the 0–≤5 and >5–12 years old malaria negative children. Conclusions. Overdiagnosis and overtreatment of malaria in this study was high. Therefore, malaria medicines should be prescribed on the basis of parasitological confirmation of all suspected malaria cases. The availability of quality-assured malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) is a useful tool to confirm malaria cases while the cause of the non-malaria fevers can be followed up and managed appropriately.
An evaluation of an interprofessional palliative care education programme

Reviews of literature relating to palliative care and interprofessional working identify the need to enhance the ‘palliative approach’ among generic health and social care staff. Greater collaboration is needed in order to deliver high quality services to individuals with palliative care needs and their families. This article describes an interprofessional palliative care education course designed around these two areas. The course was developed in response to some earlier work between a health-care trust and a local authority social services department that had highlighted areas for development in both understanding the broad remit of palliative care and collaborative working. The course outline and its evaluation are described, the description of the evaluation being from the perspectives of both the individuals leading the course and those participating in it. This led to several recommendations for future courses. Interprofessional education in palliative care represents a way forward with regard to i.
Effects of expeller pressed camelina meal and/or canola meal on digestibility, performance and fatty acid composition of broiler chickens fed wheat–soybean meal-based diets

This experiment was conducted to compare the effects of graded levels of camelina meal and/or canola meal on digestibility, performance and fatty acid composition of broiler chickens. A total of 180-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to one of the six treatments. The control diet was based on wheat and soybean meal and contained 15% canola meal. The experimental diets contained 3%, 6%, 9%, 12% or 15% camelina meal added at the expense of canola meal. Chromic oxide (0.35%) was added to all diets as a digestibility marker. On the morning of day 22, birds were killed by cervical dislocation and their abdominal fat pad was obtained. The apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter and energy as well as nitrogen retention all declined linearly (p < 0.01) with increasing levels of dietary camelina meal. Weight gain (p < 0.01) and feed intake (p = 0.08) were linearly reduced as the level of camelina meal in the diet increased. Feed conversion ratio was also negatively affected by camelina meal (p < 0.01). Birds fed diets containing 15% camelina meal had significantly higher (p < 0.01) levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, total n-3 fatty acids, total n-6 fatty acids and a significantly lower ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids (p < 0.01) than birds fed canola meal. In conclusion, the inclusion of camelina meal in their diet significantly reduced the growth and feed conversion ratio of broilers compared with canola meal. However, the potential to incorporate n-3 fatty acids into carcass tissues may provide some justification for including camelina meal in poultry rations.
Quality of life in nursing-home residents: an intervention study of the effect of mental stimulation through an audiovisual programme

Objective: to create a model for improving the quality of life of nursing-home residents. Design: a controlled randomized study. Setting: a suburban nursing home in Stockholm. Intervention: mental stimulation by audiovisual means. Subjects: residents with mild mental impairment who had lived in the nursing home for at least 6 months. Outcome measures: quality of life was measured by the Nottingham Health Profile. Results: the quality of life increased in the intervention groups compared with die control group. Conclusion: audiovisual stimulation had a great impact on the quality of life of chronically ill elderly nursing-home residents.
Effects of an energy-dense diet and nicotinic acid supplementation on production and metabolic variables of primiparous or multiparous cows in periparturient period

It is well observed that feeding energy-dense diets in dairy cows during the dry period can cause metabolic imbalances after parturition. Especially dairy cows with high body condition score (BCS) and fed an energy-dense diet were prone to develop production diseases due to metabolic disturbances postpartum. An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of an energy-dense diet and nicotinic acid (NA) on production and metabolic variables of primiparous and multiparous cows in late pregnancy and early lactation which were not pre-selected for high BCS. Thirty-six multiparous and 20 primiparous German Holstein cows with equal body conditions were fed with energy-dense (60% concentrate/40% roughage mixture; HC group) or adequate (30% concentrate/70% roughage mixture; LC group) diets prepartum. After parturition, concentrate proportion was dropped to 30% for all HC and LC groups and was increased to 50% within 16 days for LC and within 24 days for HC cows. In addition, half of the cows per group received 24 g NA supplement per day and cow aimed to attenuate the lipid mobilisation postpartum. Feeding energy-dense diets to late-pregnant dairy cows elevated the dry matter (p < 0.001) and energy intake (p < 0.001) as well as the energy balance (p < 0.001) without affecting the BCS (p = 0.265) during this period. However, this did not result in any metabolic deviation postpartum as the effects of prepartum concentrate feeding were not carried over into postpartum period. Multiparous cows responded more profoundly to energy-dense feeding prepartum compared with primiparous cows, and parity-related differences in the transition from late pregnancy to lactation were obvious pre- and postpartum. The supplementation with 24 g NA did not reveal any effect on energy metabolism. This study clearly showed that energy-dense feeding prepartum did not result in metabolic imbalances postpartum in multiparous and primiparous cows not selected for high BCS. A genetic predisposition for an anabolic metabolic status as indicated by high BCS may be crucial for developing production diseases at the onset of lactation.
FROM BATS TO PIGS TO MAN: THE STORY OF NIPAH VIRUS

The Nipah virus escaped obscurity as a nameless animal virus and assured itself a place in the annals of history by killing 105 pig farmers and toppling a billion dollar swine industry in Malaysia in less than 10 months. This hitherto unheard of paramyxovirus caused pandemonium in its wake and left behind a trail of destruction that is still being felt. The story of the Nipah virus shows just how vulnerable humans are to emerging zoonoses.
The intestinal microbiota of piglets fed with wheat bran variants as characterised by 16S rRNA next-generation amplicon sequencing

ABSTRACT The intestinal microbiota of piglets fed with a Control diet low in dietary fibre and modified wheat bran variants as an additional source of insoluble dietary fibre was characterised. In this context, variances in the microbiota of three different gut segments were assessed. Wheat bran was either included in its native form or modified by fermentation and extrusion before added at 150 g/kg to a basal diet for 48 piglets (12 animals per treatment). Total DNA was extracted from digesta samples from the jejunum, the end of the ileum and the colon ascendens. Samples were prepared accordingly for subsequent sequencing with the Illumina MiSeq. The obtained results revealed distinct location-specific differences in microbial composition. While Firmicutes were most predominant in all three gut segments, Bacteroidetes were additionally found in the colon at high abundance. The parameters of alpha and beta diversity analysis showed significant differences (p < 0.01) between the colon and the other two gut segments. Specialised bacterial groups like Prevotella and Ruminococcaceae were among the most predominant ones found in the colon, as they possess cellulolytic properties to degrade (at least partially) non-starch polysaccharides, while their abundance was negligible in the jejunum and the ileum. Conversely, the genera Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Veillonella, for example, were among the most predominant groups in the jejunum and ileum, while in the colon they were hardly found. Although statistical taxonomical evaluation, following p-value correction, did not reveal pronounced differences in abundance related to bran modification, alpha and beta diversity analysis showed an influence regarding the various feeding strategies applied. Based on these findings, a more in-depth view on intestinal microbial composition within the gastrointestinal tract of young pigs fed with low- and high-fibre diets was generated.
Nutritional value of raw and micronised field beans (Vicia faba L. var. minor) with and without enzyme supplementation containing tannase for growing chickens

ABSTRACT An experiment examined the effects of two field bean cultivar samples with different tannin contents, the effect of heat treatment (micronising) and the effect of dietary supplementation of a proprietary enzyme preparation containing tannase, pectinase, and xylanase activities on metabolisable energy (ME), total tract dry matter digestibility (DMD) and ether extract digestibility (EED), nitrogen retention (NR), tannin degradability, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, and endogenous mucin losses excretion in broiler chickens. The Control diet contained per kg 221 g crude protein and 12.83 MJ ME. Four additional diets contained 300 g/kg of each of the two untreated or micronised experimental field bean cultivar samples. Each diet was then split into two batches and one of them was supplemented with 3400 units tannase per kg diet resulting in 10 diets in total. Each diet was fed to seven pens with two randomly selected male broilers each. Birds fed the high tannin bean sample had a lower weight gain (p < 0.001), and a lower determined apparent ME (p < 0.05), and DMD (p < 0.001) but a higher tannin degradability (p < 0.001). Compared to the Control diet, feeding field beans increased (p < 0.001) the weights of the proventriculus and gizzard of the birds, and also increased endogenous mucin losses (p < 0.05). Supplementing diets with the tannase-containing enzyme preparation improved dietary ME (p < 0.001), DMD (p < 0.001), NR (p < 0.001) and DEE (p < 0.05), but did not change tannin degradability. Heat treatment of the beans reduced the degradability of condensed tannins and increased endogenous mucin losses (p < 0.05). The differences in the feeding value of the different field bean samples were not improved by heat treatment, but enzyme supplementation improved the feeding value of all diets regardless of the bean samples or heat treatment. Further research is warranted to study the effectiveness of tannase supplementation in poultry diet formulations by dose response trials with purified tannase preparations.
Neues zur Pathophysiologie der Endometriose

Die Endometriose ist eine faszinierende und komplexe Erkrankung, welche vor allem durch eine Dysregulation zwischen, durch retrograde Menstruation ins Abdomen gelangte, Endometriumzellen und der peritonealen Flüssigkeit entsteht. Erhöhte Konzentrationen von aktivierten peritonealen Makrophagen, Lymphozyten, spezifischen Zytokinen und Wachstumshormonen in der peritonealen Flüssigkeit unterstützen diese Hypothese. Die genaue Rolle dieser verschiedenen Faktoren ist noch nicht bekannt, sicher ist aber, dass das Wachstum der Endometrioseherde durch ein komplexes Zusammenspiel dieser verschiedenen Faktoren bestimmt wird. Vor allem die Angiogenese (= Gefässneubildung) spielt in diesem Prozess eine wichtige Rolle. In den letzten Jahren konnte eine Vielzahl an Wachstumsfaktoren und Zytokinen identifiziert werden, die chemotaktische, modulatorische oder inhibierende Eigenschaften mit Wirkung auf Endothelien, glatte Muskelzellen und Perizyten besitzen. Die Aussprossung von neuen Blutgefässen aus bestehenden tritt nur dann auf, wenn die lokal angiostimulatorischen Faktoren gegenüber den angioregressorischen Einflüssen überwiegen. Diese Veränderung des streng kontrollierten Prozesses scheint eine entscheidende Prämisse für die adäquate Blutversorgung und das Überleben der ektopen Endometriumzellen zu sein. Im Folgenden werden einige der wichtigsten Faktoren zusammengefasst, welche in der Entwicklung, im Wachstum und in der Progression der Endometriose eine Schlüsselrolle einnehmen.
Effects of dietary fat on the saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid metabolism in growing pigs

ABSTRACT The effect of dietary fats differing in fatty acid (FA) composition on the metabolism of saturated FA (SFA) and monounsaturated FA (MUFA) in growing pigs was investigated. The deposition of FA in the body and the fate of individual dietary FA were assessed after slaughter. Gilts with an initial body weight (BW) of 60 kg were used as experimental animals. Six pigs were slaughtered at 60 kg BW, while further 18 pigs received three isoenergetic and isonitrogen experimental diets containing linseed oil, rapeseed oil or beef tallow at 50 g/kg diet until they reached 105 kg (six pigs per group). The chemical composition and the content of FA in the whole body were determined and compared across groups. Regardless of dietary treatment, the whole body contained similar amounts of protein, fat and total FA. The total accumulation (percentage of net intake and de novo production) of SFA and MUFA was similar in all groups, but the processes of elongation and desaturation of SFA and MUFA depended upon the type of FA added to the diet. A high dietary content and intake of MUFA inhibits desaturation compared to SFA- and PUFA-rich diets, whereas a high SFA content and intake lowers elongation rate. The increasing net intake of total SFA and MUFA was associated with a lower total de novo production of these FA in the whole body of pigs.
Clinical experience with antithrombotic drugs acting on purine receptor pathways

Rupture of atherosclerotic plaques and subsequent thrombus formation in coronary arteries are key events in the progression of coronary artery disease and the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes. Platelets play a crucial role in this thrombus formation and the success of aspirin in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has spurred on the search for antiplatelet agents that have an alternative mechanism of action and may, therefore, add to the therapeutic effects of aspirin. The thienopyridines, ticlopidine and clopidogrel, act via metabolites on the platelet ADP receptor subtype designated P2T, and these agents have proven clinical efficacy, either as alternatives to aspirin or, in prevention of coronary stent thrombosis, in combination with aspirin. Potent P2T receptor antagonists have been developed that act directly on the receptor and have a rapid onset of action. One such antagonist, AR‐C69931MX, is being developed for clinical use. AR‐C69931MX is a potent antagonist of ADP‐induced platelet activation, aggregation, and secretion and also antagonises platelet responses to all other agonists in view of the central role of the P2T receptor in amplifying platelet responses. Phase II studies of intravenous AR‐C69931MX in patients with acute coronary syndromes show that this agent has a rapid onset of action, rapidly achieving steady‐state inhibition of platelet aggregation, with a half‐life of only a few minutes. AR‐C69931MX appears to be safe and well tolerated as adjunctive therapy in these patients, and more effective inhibition of platelet function is achieved than with the thienopyridine clopidogrel. Orally active antagonists are also being developed that may be more effective than the thienopyridines. Drug Dev. Res. 52:202–212, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Treatment of Culicoides hypersensitive horses with high-dose n-3 fatty acids: a double-blinded crossover study.

In this double-blinded crossover study the clinical efficacy of high dose α-linolenic acid (linseed oil) for the treatment of Culicoides spp. hypersensitivity was evaluated. Seventeen privately owned horses from north Florida, USA completed the 18-week study. Criteria for inclusion included negative dermatophyte cultures, negative skin scrapes, failure to respond to ivermectin treatment, compatible clinical signs, positive skin test to Culicoides spp.antigen and a history of seasonal pruritus consistent with Culicoides spp. hypersensitivity. Horses were randomized and each horse's feed was supplemented with 200 mL of linseed oil (n-3 source) or 200 mL of corn oil (n-6 source) per day for a 6-week period. After a 6-week washout period, each horse was crossed over to the other supplement for an additional 6 weeks. Horses were evaluated every 3 weeks. The level of pruritus was determined by counting pruritic acts in a 30-min period. Total lesional surface area was determined by computerized evaluation of scanned photographs and documented physical examination findings. There was no significant change in level of pruritus observed between the groups (P = 0.89). Additionally, lesional surface area was not significantly different between the groups (P = 0.06). However, most owners stated that horses improved while supplemented with linseed oil.
Heredity and Environment —Part II Environment

ENVIRONMENT for the biologist is the medium within which the effect of any particular gene is developed. It includes all those chemical and physical factors which influence development from without, and also the modifying tendencies of the other genes which by their presence influence the conditions within the organism. These two aspects of the environment arc known as external and internal respectively. In mammals the external environment covers both ante-natal and post-natal influences. It operates through factors involved in nutrition, protection, play, instruction and affection. It is by such means that tradition, whether family or racial, serves in some measure to shape the growing organism. In man these formative influences are made the more potent by the long period of infancy, with its imitative play and dependence upon family provision, and by the responsiveness of the human nervous system in developing new habit patterns in relation to external circumstances.
Curing and smoking

Summary Curing and smoking are ancient methods of food preservation in which the combined microbial inhibitory effect of reduced water content and curing salts/smoke is accompanied by characteristic flavour and colour change. This paper describes the development of our understanding of the chemical changes and microbial stability on which the modern industry is based. Cured and smoked foods may contain undesirable components, but which are minimised by modern techniques. Ascorbic acid reduces the possibility of the formation of nitrosamines from nitrite in cured products. Carcinogens naturally present in wood smoke can be reduced by condensation and fractional distillation to produce a ‘liquid smoke’.
Evaluación del lercanidipino en Atención Primaria: seguridad y eficacia. Resultados del estudio LAPSE

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy and tolerability of a long-acting dihydropyridine in the clinical settings of general practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 110 essential hypertensives were included (age 62.3 +/- 10.8 years, 51 men and 53 women, 38/ obese -IMC >30 kg/m2, ten diabetics). 104 patients ended the followup. Patients were treated with lercanidipine 10 mg once daily in the morning. Follow-up lasted 6 months. When blood pressure was not controlled (BP < 140/90 mmHg) in any visit, a second drug was added, excluding calcium channel blockers. Antiadrenergic drugs were recommended. If patients were not controlled ittwo consecutive visits they were excluded from follow-up. RESULTS: Significant reductions in both systolic (baseline 157.4 +/- 11.7 vs 131.1 +/- 6.8 mmHg, p < 0,001) and diastolic BP (baseline 94.7 +/- 5.8 vs 80.0 +/- 5.5 mmHg, p < 0,001) were attained at six months. Mean SBP decrease was 26.7 mmHg and mean DBP reduction was 15.6 mmHg. At the study end, 84.3/ of the patients achieved a BP < 140/90 mmHg. Thirty patients needed a second drug to become controlled (26 at the study end). The overall incidence of adverse effects was 4,4/ (n=6) and just three patients withdrew the treatment due to untoward effects. Plasmatic cholesterol lowered from 225.3 +/- 41.0 to 216.7 +/- 25.3 mg/dl (p = 0,03) and urate decreased from 5.6 +/- 1.6 to 5.1 +/- 1.4 mgldl, p = 0,03). CONCLUSIONS: Lercanidipine is a calcium channel blockers of high efficacy and low incidence of adverse effects in the clinical settings of general practice. It seems to have a positive metabolic effects on plasmatic levels of cholesterol and urate.