Eight-week Trial Research Articles

The Effectiveness Of Learning English Speaking Via Social Media Youtube In English Singsing Channel

The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of using YouTube video material to teach speaking. YouTube video material denotes material created by researchers in the form of videos sourced from the YouTube application. The designed material is vocabulary and conversation. The purpose of this research is to examine students' speaking skills in terms of vocabulary and pronunciation, as well as conversation, using YouTube video material. This is an observational research method. The participants in the study were 40 eighth-grade students from SMPN 69 West Jakarta. The researcher's research material consists of two different YouTube channels on the same topic. Students took part in an eight-week trial from March 1, 2022 to April 27, 2022. Students' perspectives were used to collect data for the research instrument. The test was also completed by recalling vocabulary and practicing conversations with other students. The differences in the speaking comprehension scores of students' work show that YouTube has an impact on student performance. This positive outcome implies that students at SMPN 69 West Jakarta can benefit from using YouTube videos to communicate. It is also regarded as a motivator for students to improve their speaking comprehension skills and gain a deeper understanding of English.

Efficacy of Epoetin Alfa in Managing Symptomatic Anaemia in Low-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal myeloid disorders characterised by ineffective haematopoiesis, leading to anaemia that often requires dependence on red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. Epoetin alfa (Eprex®) is now a mainstay in the management of symptomatic anaemia in low-risk MDS patients, reducing transfusion dependence and improving the quality of life in this patient group. Objective This retrospective study aimed to assess the efficacy of epoetin alfa in treating symptomatic anaemia in low-risk MDS patients, focusing on transfusion independence and its relationship with baseline erythropoietin (EPO) levels and haemoglobin (Hb) response. Methods Data from 56 patients with low-risk MDS treated with epoetin alfa at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital,Norwich, United Kingdom, between 2018 and 2023 were retrospectively analysed. Baseline EPO levels, transfusion history, Hb response, and the duration of transfusion independence were assessed. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation between baseline characteristics and treatment outcomes. Results Among the patients, 98.2% had baseline EPO levels below the 500 IU/L threshold, with a median EPO level of 74.3 IU/L. Following an eight-week trial of 30,000 units of epoetin-alfa, 41.1% of patients showed improved Hb levels, 41.1% maintained stable Hb levels, and 17.9% experienced a decline. A significant correlation was found between lower baseline EPO levels (<250 IU/L) and a positive treatment response (p = 0.0065). Additionally, patients who required fewer transfusions before treatment had longer durations of transfusion independence (correlation coefficient = -0.40, p = 0.015). Dose escalation to 60,000 units provided a benefit to 53.3% of patients with initially stable Hb levels. The average duration of transfusion independence was 8.1 months, and patients with improved Hb levels had the longest periods of transfusion independence (p = 0.005). Conclusion Epoetin alfa is an effective therapy for managing symptomatic anaemia in low-risk MDS patients. This study highlights its efficacy and provides valuable predictive information, particularly showing that patients with lower baseline EPO levels are more likely to respond to treatment. While prior transfusion dependence did not significantly predict response to therapy in this cohort, it was associated with the duration of transfusion independence.

Optimal aquarium shape for rearing male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens)

The aggressive behavior of male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) necessitates their rearing in isolation in small aquaria. For intensive production, the major concerns are growth promotion and feed utilization. The small aquaria are connected to save space but little is known about the suitable characteristics of aquaria for this species. In this study, solid-red male Siamese fighting fish (0.57–0.58 g body weight) were individually housed in aquaria that had square (SQ), rectangular (RE), equilateral triangular (ET), or right triangular (RT) cross sections. The water in the aquaria had the same depth (6 cm) and volume (180 mL). At the end of the eight-week trial, fish housed in the ET and RT aquaria exhibited superior growth rate and feed utilization to fish housed in SQ or RE aquaria (P < 0.05). No differences in morphometrics, skin coloration, muscle quality, and whole-body composition were observed. Protein- and lipid-digesting enzyme activities, as well as amylase/trypsin ratios, indicated differences in feed utilization that were correlated with aquarium shape. The findings of our study indicated that the triangular aquaria were more suitable for rearing this fish in isolation. This study could be used as an animal protocol for experimental set-up, to improve betta fish farm management, and also for the development of intensive farming systems for this species.

Dietary supplement guava leaf extract regulates growth, feed utilization, immune function, nutrient digestibility and redox regulation in growing rabbits

The use of agricultural waste in animal production has gained global interest. An eight-week trial was conducted to investigate the impacts of adding ethanolic guava leaf extract (GLE) as a feed supplement on the growth, feed utilization, immune response, nutrient digestibility, redox regulation, and blood health of growing rabbits. Ninety weaned growing rabbits were randomly assigned to three groups. The first group was fed a basal diet (GLE0), while the other two groups were fed the control diet fortified with 15 mg (GLE15) or 20 mg (GLE20) of GLE per kg of diet for 8 weeks. The HPLC analysis of GLE exhibited the presence of gallic acid, ferulic acid, catechin, and caffeic acid in significant amounts. The results indicated that final body weight, daily body weight, daily feed intake and nutrient digestibility were significantly higher in the GLE-treated groups compared to the un-treated group (p < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of GLE significantly reduced lipid contents including triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and VLDL (P < 0.05), with the most significant results observed when adding 20 mg/kg to the diet. AST and ALT levels as well as cortisol hormone in rabbits fed GLE were lower than those in the GLE0 group (P < 0.05). Immunoglobulins (IgG and IgA), antioxidant biomarkers (SOD and TAC) and T3 hormone were significantly improved by GLE supplementation (P < 0.001). Rabbits fed with GLE had lower levels of ROS and MDA compared to those in the GLE0 group (P < 0.001). Moreover, the hepatic and intestinal architectures were maintained in all rabbits fed diets with GLE. The results suggest that GLE supplementation (20 mg/kg diet) in fattening rabbit diets could efficiently improve growth, health status, blood physiology, antioxidant capacity and tissue histology.

Prospective crossover trial of positional and CPAP therapy for the treatment of mild-to-moderate positional obstructive sleep apnea.

To evaluate efficacy of vibrotactile positional therapy (PT) compared to standard CPAP therapy in mild-to-moderate positional obstructive sleep apnea (pOSA). Prospective crossover randomized controlled trial of adult patients with treatment-naïve, symptomatic, mild-to-moderate pOSA - defined as ≥5 total apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) <30 with supine-to-non-supine (s:ns)AHI ratio ≥2. Participants were randomized to in-laboratory treatment initiation polysomnography with either PT or CPAP on sequential nights before an eight-week trial of each therapy. The primary endpoint was symptomatic improvement (Epworth Sleepiness Scale; ΔESS). Secondary endpoints included patient preference, usage, sleep architecture and quality of life (QoL) measures. 52 participants were enrolled and completed both arms of the study. Participants were symptomatic with median ESS 12 (IQR 10-14). Treatment resulted in a significant (p<0.001) symptomatic improvement with both PT and CPAP (ΔESS 4; IQR 6-11) without a significant difference between treatment arms (p=0.782). PT was effective at restricting supine sleep and demonstrated improved sleep efficiency compared with CPAP, although no better than baseline. Both therapies were effective at reducing AHI, although CPAP demonstrated superior AHI reduction. There were otherwise no clinically significant differences in sleep architecture, usage, or secondary outcomes including overall patient preference. In this cohort, treatment with PT or CPAP resulted in clinically significant symptomatic improvement (ΔESS) that was not significantly different between treatment arms. No real difference was seen in other secondary outcome measures. This study provides further evidence to support the use of PT as an alternative first-line therapy with CPAP in appropriately selected patients with pOSA. Registry: Australian New Zealand Clinic Trials Registry; Name: Prospective crossover trial of Positional and Continuous positive airway pressure Therapy for the treatment of mild-to-moderate positional obstructive sleep apnoea; Identifier: ACTRN12619000475145; URL: https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=377221&isReview=true.

Supporting Well-Being: Exploring the Value of a Digital Coach for Older Adults in the Transition from Work to Retirement.

Supporting older adults' health and well-being in the transition from work to retirement requires a holistic perspective and needs to address physical, mental, and social aspects of life. In a field study, applying a mixed-methods approach, we investigated to what extent the prototype of a digital coach can support older adults in this sensitive phase. We aim at answering the central research question: How can a digital coach support older adults in the transition from work to retirement to establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle? Overall, 32 participants from Austria and Belgium took part in an eight-week trial. App-based interventions in different domains (physical, mental, social) were provided and aimed at motivating the target group to become and/or stay active. The study shows that the digital coach has potential to support health and well-being on various levels. In particular, the mental activities proofed valuable and supported older adults' well-being.

Effects of exogenous bile acids (BAs) on growth, lipid profile, digestive enzymes, and immune responses of thinlip mullet, Liza ramada

An eight-week trial was designed to explore the dietary effects of commercially purchased exogenous bile acids (BAs) on growth, whole-body composition, lipid profile, intestinal digestive enzymes, liver function enzymes, oxidative stress biomarkers, and serum immunity of thinlip mullet, Liza ramada. Four triplicate groups (10.50 ± 0.05 g) were fed four soybean meal (SBM)-based diets supplied with several BAs levels at 0 (control), 50, 130, or 350 mg/kg feed. Results indicated that the growth was significantly increased in groups fed BAs-based diets, especially at 130 mg/kg feed. The body composition analysis showed that feeding fish on diets supplied with BAs up to 130 mg/kg decreased moisture (%) alongside increased crude protein (%). However, the body composition of fish fed a diet with 350 mg BAs/kg had the lowest moisture (%) and the highest crude protein (%). Moreover, there were significant increases in the intestinal (protease, α-amylase, and lipase) enzyme activities in the groups supplied with BAs up to 130 mg BAs/kg. Liver function enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase enzyme activities) were significantly decreased in BAs-supplemented groups compared to those fed the BAs-free group. On the other hand, the control group had higher total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein alongside the lower high-density lipoprotein than BAs-supplemented groups, especially at 350 mg BAs/kg feed. BAs significantly decreased hepatic malondialdehyde concentrations and increased the activity of hepatic catalase, superoxide dismutase, and total antioxidant capacity compared with those reared on the control diet. Serum lysozyme, respiratory burst, and alternative complement activities were significantly increased in BAs-supplied groups, particularly in the group supplied with 130 mg BAs/kg compared to those fed on the control diet. Accordingly, our findings recommend that including 130 mg BAs/kg in an SBM-based diet enhanced the growth, digestive enzyme activities, and liver functions, alleviated oxidative stress, boosted serum immunity, and lowered lipid metabolites in thinlip mullet. These findings will be beneficial for improving the quality of feed prepared for feeding mullets and an effective alternative strategy to support mullet farming.

Sanguinarine Improves Intestinal Health in Grass Carp Fed High-Fat Diets: Involvement of Antioxidant, Physical and Immune Barrier, and Intestinal Microbiota.

An eight-week trial was conducted to investigate the effects of sanguinarine supplementation (600 μg and 1200 μg/kg) in high-fat (crude fat: 10%) diets (HF) on the intestinal physiological function of Ctenopharyngodon idellus (initial weight 50.21 ± 0.68 g), based on a basic diet (5% crude fat, CON), which were named HFLS and HFHS, respectively. The results showed that the HF diet significantly impaired the intestinal immune and physical barrier function, and disrupted the balance of the intestinal microbiota in grass carp. Compared to the HF diet, sanguinarine supplementation significantly improved the levels of serum C4, C3, AKP, IgA, and IgM, and enhanced the intestinal antioxidant capacity (gr, CuZnsod, gpx4, cat, gsto, and nrf2 expression were significantly up-regulated). Sanguinarine significantly down-regulated the expression of claudin-15 and up-regulated the expression of claudin-b, claudin-c, occludin, and zo-1 by inhibiting MLCK signaling molecules. Additionally, sanguinarine significantly down-regulated the expression of il-6, il-1β, and tnf-α and up-regulated the expression of il-10, tgf-β2, and tgf-β1 by inhibiting NF-κB signaling molecules, thereby alleviating intestinal inflammation caused by HF diets. Furthermore, compared to the HF diet, the abundance of Fusobacterium and Cetobacterium in the HFHS diet increased significantly, while the abundance of Firmicutes and Streptococcus showed the opposite trend. In conclusion, the HF diet had a negative impact on grass carp, while sanguinarine supplementation enhanced intestinal antioxidant ability, alleviated intestinal barrier damage, and ameliorated the homeostasis of the intestinal microbiota.

Growth Performance, Survival, Blood Chemistry, and Immune Gene Expression of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) Fed Probiotic-Supplemented Diets.

The channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) farming industry is the largest and one of the oldest aquaculture industries in the United States. Despite being an established industry, production issues stemming from disease outbreaks remain problematic for producers. Supplementing fish diets with probiotics to enhance the immune system and growth potential is one approach to mitigating disease. Although considerable laboratory data demonstrate efficacy, these results do not always translate to natural modes of disease transmission. Hence, the present work was conducted in the laboratory but incorporated flow-through water from large catfish pond production systems, allowing for natural exposure to pathogens. Two feeding trials were conducted in an 18-tank aquaria system housing two different sizes, 34.8 ± 12.5 g and 0.36 ± 0.03 g, of channel catfish. Channel catfish in the first trial were fed three experimental diets over six weeks. Commercial diets were top-coated with two selected spore-forming Bacillus spp. probiotics, Bacillus velezensis AP193 (1 × 106 CFU g-1) and BiOWiSH (3.6 × 104 CFU g-1), or a basal diet that contained no dietary additive. In the second eight-week trial, diets were top-coated with BiOWiSH at three concentrations (1.8, 3.6, and 7.3 × 104 CFU g-1), along with one basal diet (no probiotic). At the completion of these studies, growth performance, survival, hematocrit, blood chemistry, and immune expression of interleukin 1β (il1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (tnf-α), interleukin-8 (il8), transforming-growth factor β1 (tgf-β1), and toll-like receptor 9 (tlr9) were evaluated using qPCR. Trial results revealed no differences (p &gt; 0.05) among treatments concerning growth, survival, or hematological parameters. For immune gene expression, interesting trends were discerned, with substantial downregulation observed in B. velezensis AP193-fed fish for il1β, tnf-α, and tlr9 expression within splenic tissue, compared to that of the basal and BiOWiSH diets (p &lt; 0.05). However, the results were not statistically significant for anterior kidney tissue in the first trial. In the second trial, varied levels of probiotic inclusion revealed no significant impact of BiOWiSH's products on the expression of il1β, tnf-α, il8, and tgf-β1 in both spleen and kidney tissue at any rate of probiotic inclusion (p &gt; 0.05). Based on these findings, more research on utilizing probiotics in flow-through systems with natural infection conditions is crucial to ensure consistency from a controlled laboratory scale to real-world practices.

A multispecies probiotic modulates growth, digestive enzymes, immunity, hepatic antioxidant activity, and disease resistance of Pangasianodon hypophthalmus fingerlings

An eight-week trial was designed by feeding Pangasianodon hypophthalmus fingerlings on diets supplemented with a multispecies probiotic comprised of three probiotic bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Enterococcus faecium) in combination with a probiotic yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The effects were observed regarding growth, body composition, digestive enzymes, liver function enzymes, serum metabolites, immunological responses, hepatic antioxidant capacity, and resistance to the challenge with Aeromonas hydrophila. Fish (9.54 ± 0.50 g) were allocated into four triplicate groups and were fed on formulated pelleted diets enriched with varying levels of the probiotic as 0.0 (reference or CONT), 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g per 1 kg feed. After the feeding trial ended, a significant augmentation of the growth performance in terms of the fish's final weight, weight gain and specific growth rate were observed in the probiotic-enriched groups in comparison to the CONT group. There were also improvements in the feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Nevertheless, no variations were noticed in whole-body analysis, liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and ALP), and serum metabolites (blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, and creatinine) among the experimental groups. Meanwhile, digestive enzymes (lipase, amylase, and protease) and enzymatic antioxidant activities (CAT, SOD, and GPx) were increased in all probiotic-supplied groups in comparison with the CONT group. On the other side, hepatic malondialdehyde concentrations declined in probiotic-supplemented groups in relation to the CONT group. An improved immunological response (serum lysozyme activity and total immunoglobulins) was aligned with the higher cumulative survival of P. hypophthalmus in response to the pathogenic A. hydrophila challenge. Taken together, the enhancement of the growth, antioxidant activity, and immunity, aligned with increased resistance to A. hydrophila, can suggest the potentiality of dietary supplementation with a multispecies probiotic composed of probiotic bacteria and yeast to improve the functionality and effectuality of aquadiets prepared for this valuable fish species.

Anti-Obesity Effect of Carom Seeds (Trachyspermum Ammi) Tea on Bmi and Lipid Profile Leading to Cardiovascular Diseases

Introduction: Obesity refers to the deposition of fat ratio in the fat tissues of muscles in which the BMI raised (obesity and hyperlipidemia) that may have a negative impact on health. Herbs from ancient times till today have been utilized as a solution for some infections and issues. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the defensive impact of Carom seed (Trachyspermum ammi) against obesity and hyperlipidemia. Materials &amp; Methods: Carom seed was acquired from the Faisalabad and was washed to expel the soil, dust, and outside materials clung to the test surface. The crude material was dried by utilizing an air forced draft oven. After planning, it was stuffed in water/airproof plastic containers and put away at 5 ± 1 °C until further analysis. Moreover, the blood samples were collected on 0-day, 15-day, 30-day, and 60-day by taking 15ml venous blood after a 12-hour night of fasting. Serum samples were separated by centrifugation and stored at -70?c until analysis. Low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured enzymatically. Concentrations of triglycerides and total cholesterol were measured by Peridochrom Triglyceride Kits. Sixteen subjects, separated into four groups were given carom seeds in the form of tea i.e. G0 (Control), G1 (500mg), G2 (1 mg) and G3 (1.5 mg) individually. This was an eight-week trial and all the parameters e.g. Body Mass Index, High-Density Lipid, Low-Density Lipid, Tri-Glycerides, and Total Cholesterol were measured at 0 days, 15 days, 30 days, and 60 days respectively. The yield data of carom seed tea for anti-obesity and anti-hyper-lipidemic effects obtained for each treatment were subjected to a paired t-test by using SPSS. Results: The significant change has been observed between the groups with the relevance of treatments given. G0 showed no significant changes among all the groups while G2 and G3 reported considerable changes because of the dosage concentrations of carom seed tea i.e. 1g and 1.5g respectively (p&lt;0.05).

Natural Feed Supplements Improve Growth, Non-Specific Immune Responses and Resistance against Vibrio alginolyticus in Lates calcarifer

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary natural feed supplement on the growth performance, non-specific responses, and disease resistance in Lates calcarifer. Three commercial products (A, B, and C) containing a basal probiotic mixture were tested. Product A contained a basal mixture of Paenibacillus sp., Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (107 cfu/g for each probiotic); product B contained additional Lactobacillus plantarum (1010 cfu/g); and product C contained additional soybean peptides (500 g/kg) and garlic powder (1 g/kg). Each product was supplemented into subject diets at dosages of 1 or 2 g/kg (designated as the A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2 groups, respectively). Following an eight-week trial, growth parameters (specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio), non-specific immune responses (O2− production, phagocytic rate, and phagocytic index), and the results of a challenge test against Vibrio alginolyticus were evaluated. The results show that all probiotic supplement groups exhibited an improvement in growth performance compared to the control group (non-probiotic diet). In terms of non-specific immunity parameters, a significant improvement in O2− production was found in the C2 group, whereas significant improvements in phagocytic activity were found in all the B and C groups. The C2 group displayed optimal O2− production, phagocytic rate, and phagocytic index results. For the challenge test, the C groups showed higher Vibrio resistance than the other experimental groups and the control group. These results suggest that product C, given at dosages of 2 g/kg, may serve as a growth-promoting and immunostimulatory additive for the cultivation of Asian seabass.

“You can go out 14 miles away with the knowledge that you’ve got the battery to help you back if you need it!” Narratives of ranging behaviour and wellbeing in diaries of e-bike trial participants.

This paper draws on data from a large UK study that aimed to understand cycling among the older population and how this affected independence, health, and wellbeing. Part of the study involved an ‘e-bike trial’ where participants aged 50 and over, who were returning to cycling after a hiatus, were loaned an e-bike for an eight-week trial period. Pre-trial and post-trial cognitive tests of trial participants, reported previously (Leyland et al., 2019), demonstrated how e-bikes provide positive benefits to cognitive function and wellbeing. The paper builds on these findings, drawing specifically on the qualitative component, predominantly biographical interviews, written material, and visual material provided in rider diaries and a focus group discussion, to understand the reasons for this positive impact.The findings demonstrate how power assistance can provide riders with the opportunity to extend the distance and types of area they are willing to cycle from their homes (their ‘ranging behaviour’) and how this can promote health and wellbeing. Our evidence suggests that e-bikes have the potential to support cycling for leisure as well as everyday travel and that consideration should be given to the positive effects of e-cycling on mental wellbeing in addition to physical activity. This is pertinent in the context of an ageing society, the push towards zero-emission cities, and the need to ensure socially inclusive mobility, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 global pandemic.

Navel orange peel hydroethanolic extract as a phytogenic feed supplement: impacts on growth, feed intake, nutrient digestibility, and serum metabolites of heat stressed growing rabbits

Currently, using agricultural wastes in animal production has gained worldwide interest. Hence, herein, an eight-week trial was performed to explore the effects of supplemental navel orange peel extract (NPE) on the growth, feed utilization, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant, and hematological parameters of heat-stressed rabbits. In total, 75 weaned rabbits were randomly assigned into five groups. The first group was reared in the winter (mild weather) and fed an untreated pelleted diet (W-NPE-0; control). The other four groups were reared in the summer (hot climate) and fed the control diet fortified with 0 (S-NPE-0), 250 (S-NPE-250), 500 (S-NPE-500), or 1000 (S-NPE-1000) mg NPE/kg diet. The results indicated that thermal-stressed rabbits (S-NPE-0) had significantly lower feed intake, growth performance, hematological indices, serum lipid profile, and antioxidative status, but higher lipid peroxidation compared to the W-NPE-0 group. However, the highest final weight and feed intake were recorded in the S-NPE-1000 group compared with the S-NPE-0 group. Also, supplemental NPE in the growing rabbit diet, especially the S-NPE-1000 group, enhanced the hematological and antioxidative indicators. In conclusion, NPE supplementation in growing rabbit diets could be used to efficiently mitigate the detrimental effects of chronic temperature stress on performance, hematobiochemical features, and oxidative stability.

Damızlık Bıldırcın Rasyonlarına Portakal ve Limon Kabuğu Esansiyel Yağları ve Karışımlarının İlavesinin Performans, Yumurta Kalitesi ve Kuluçka Parametrelerine Etkisi

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of adding orange peel (PKY), lemon peel essential oils (LKY) and PKY+LKY (respectively 300, 300, 150+150 mg/kg) to laying quail diets on performance, egg internal and external quality parameters and hatchability parameters. The eight-week trial was conducted in 20 subgroups, with 4 treatment groups and 5 replications for each treatment, and a total of 120 Japanese quails at 10 weeks of age were randomly distributed, with 6 quails (4 females, 2 males) in each subgroup. Feed intake with the addition of LKY to the diet, egg production and egg mass with the addition of PKY + LKY decreased significantly compared to the control group, and the eggshell breaking resistance with the addition of LKY and PKY + LKY increased significantly compared to the control group. However, the addition of LKY, PKY and PKY+LKY to the diet did not affect hatchability and reproduction parameters. According to these results, the addition of 300 mg/kg PKY and 300 mg/kg (150+150) PKY+LKY to breeder quail diets had an effect on the increase of eggshell qualityi, although the performance was adversely affected.

Oligosaccharides improve the flesh quality and nutrition value of Nile tilapia fed with high carbohydrate diet

High level of carbohydrate in aquafeed could achieve cost-sparing effect, but it may cause adverse effects on flesh quality of aquatic products. An eight-week trial was conducted to investigate whether oligosaccharides-supplementation, including Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS), could systematically improve the growth performance, texture characteristics and nutrition composition of Nile tilapia fed with high-carbohydrate diet. The results indicated that GOS-supplementation improved the amino acid composition, while XOS-supplementation showed beneficial effects on growth performance. High-carbohydrate diet had adverse effects on fillet texture, while oligosaccharide-supplementation regulated the expression of muscle development-related genes to help restoring muscle texture properties. Furthermore, either high-carbohydrate or addition of oligosaccharides could change the intestinal microbiota composition and their metabolites. Further correlation analysis suggested that intestinal microbiota may account for the improvement in fish growth condition and texture characteristics. Application of oligosaccharides may be an innovative strategy for flesh quality modulation in aquaculture.

British Society for Haematology guidelines for the management of adult myelodysplastic syndromes.

British Society for Haematology guidelines for the management of adult myelodysplastic syndromes.

Dietary apple peel-derived pectin improved growth performance, antioxidant enzymes and immune response in common carp, Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758)

The trial conducted to investigate the effects of apple peel-derived pectin (APDP) on the growth, antioxidant enzyme activity and immune parameters in blood of common carp (Cyprinus carpio, 19.94 ± 0.03 g). Four dietary treatments with 0 (control), 0.5, 1 and 2% APDP were tested in an eight-week trial. Obtained data allowed assessing the growth, feed efficiency and immunological parameters as lysozyme, catalase activity (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Fish fed APDP treatments showed improvements in growth parameters and feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05). The dietary pectin inclusions significantly (P < 0.05) increased the skin mucus immunological parameters; including serum total immuno globulin (STlg), and lysozyme activity. Regarding serum antioxidant defense, carp fed diets supplemented with APDP showed higher (P < 0.05) CAT and SOD activity levels versus control group. Although the supplementary diets did not differ significantly. The serum and skin mucus anti-bacterial activity tests against ten different bacterial strains demonstrated that dietary pectin significantly affected anti-bacterial activity, suggesting that the dietary administration of APDP favorably affects growth and immune responses.

Performance characteristics of weaner rabbits on cassava peel-based balanced diets

An eight-week trial was conducted to determine the optimum level of substitution of dried cassava peel meal (DCPM) for maize in rabbit diets balanced for varying energy, nitrogen and fibre contents. Six experimental diets were compounded such that DCPM replaced maize at 0%, 50%, 62.5%, 75%, 87.5% and 100% levels. Each diet was fed to five replicates of a weaner rabbit, averaging 0.49kg initial body weight. Water and feed were provided ad libitum throughout the 8 week period and their intake as well as faecal output were measured daily. Body weight gain and efficiency of feed conversion were determined weekly. No significant effects of replacement of maize in the control diet with graded levels of DCPM were observed on final body weight (FW), daily weight gain (DWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and feed cost per unit weight gain (FC/WG). However, there were significant effects of dietary treatments on daily faecal output (DFO) (P&lt;0.05) and daily feed (DFC) and daily water (DWC) consumption (P&lt;0.01). The results of this study demonstrate that DCPM could replace 100% of dietary maize without adverse effects on rate, efficiency and economy of weight gain. Savings in feed cost were also achieved as a result of the use of DCPM and these ranged from 13.2 to 18.7%.

Nurses' Perceptions of Technology Used in Language Interpretation for Patients with Limited English Proficiency.

This project examined nurses' positive and negative perceptions of the technology used in language interpretation for patients who have limited English proficiency (LEP). The intervention was guided by the technology acceptance model, a framework that addresses users' acceptance or rejection of computer-based technology. A sample of 47 nurses participated. Nurses' perceptions of an existing telephone-based remote interpretation technology were compared with their perceptions of a video remote interpretation (VRI) system. Instruments included a structured questionnaire to collect nurses' demographic and other characteristics and to measure their perceptions of the technology used in language interpretation; open-ended questions were added on how technology affected nursing care and nurses' rapport and communication with patients. Questionnaires on the telephone-based interpretation technology were administered, and after an eight-week trial of the VRI technology, questionnaires on the VRI system were administered. Overall, positive perceptions of VRI were significantly higher and negative perceptions significantly lower compared with perceptions of telephone-based interpretation technology (P < 0.001 for both). Qualitative findings indicated that VRI technology improved communication and was less time consuming for nurses. Nurses preferred VRI technology because of its positive effects on time expenditure and communication. VRI technology is likely to be adopted successfully and ensures increased use of professional language interpretation for patients with LEP.