Mean Weight Research Articles

Dual-energy CT for differentiation of hypodense liver lesions in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

To assess the accuracy of CT spectral HU curve assessment of hypodense liver lesions. In this retrospective HIPAA-compliant study (January 2016 through May 2023), patients with biopsy-proven pancreatic adenocarcinoma and a biopsied indeterminate liver lesion underwent a DECT abdominal CT scan. Spectral HU curves were provided for each hypodense liver lesion, and slopes were calculated. Lesion Hounsfield units, iodine concentration and virtual enhancement were recorded. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare malignant and benign lesions. Optimal cutoff points were estimated using ROC curves and Youden's Index. Thirty-six patients (19 men, 17 women) with a mean age of 63 years ± 9 (standard deviation), a mean height of 170.9 cm ± 9.5, a mean weight of 69.8 kg ± 14.5, and a body mass index of 23.9 kg/m2 ± 3.5. Reference standard assessment identified 92 liver lesions (50 metastases, 24 cysts, 13 abscesses, 3 regions of inflammation, 2 hemangiomas) with a mean size of 1.1 cm ± 0.5. The mean interval between the CT and liver lesion biopsy was 24 days. A diagnosis of benign versus malignant was determined based on optimal cutoffs: spectral curve slope of 1.36, iodine concentration of 6.47 (100 µg/cm3), and enhancement of 10.25. The receiver operating curves (ROC) for diagnosis using spectral curve slope, iodine concentration, and virtual enhancement resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.948, 0.946, and 0.937, respectively. Spectral HU curves and iodine concentration of well-defined hypodense liver lesions are highly accurate in the diagnosis of benign versus malignant lesions. Question Limited evidence exists for spectral imaging diagnosis of liver lesions-can DECT accurately differentiate between benign and metastatic hypodense liver lesions? Findings Ninety-two hypodense liver lesions evaluated using HU keV curve slope, iodine concentration, and virtual enhancement resulted in accurate benign versus metastatic differentiation. Clinical relevance Hypodense liver lesions are a challenging issue at staging, often requiring further imaging, follow-up, and/or biopsy. The additional information from multi-energy CT can be useful to differentiate between benign and malignant lesions, thereby reducing the need for costly additional evaluation.

Relationship Between Body Weight and Leukopenia in Non-Kidney Solid Organ Transplant Recipients With Normal Renal Function Who Are Receiving Valganciclovir for CMV Prophylaxis.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease causes significant morbidity among solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. To prevent CMV disease, eligible recipients are frequently started on valganciclovir (VGC) prophylaxis post-transplant. Leukopenia has been documented as a primary adverse events of the drug (1). This study's primary aim was to determine whether a patient's weight at the start of VGC prophylaxis was associated with the development of leukopenia. This was a single center, retrospective cohort study that included adults > 18 years of age, who had received an organ transplant (heart, liver, or lung) at an academic transplant center from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2022. A creatinine clearance of > 60mL/min was required. All 294 included patients received 900mg/day of VGC for CMV prophylaxis, without dose adjustment. Fifty-two percent of the patients developed leukopenia while receiving VGC prophylaxis. The mean weight at initiation of VGC was higher in patients who did not develop leukopenia (97.9kg) compared to those who did (90.7kg; p = 0.0112). It was found that with each 1kg increase in body weight, the likelihood of developing leukopenia decreased by 1.7% (p = 0.004, odds ratio = 0.983, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.972-0.994). Patients with a baseline body-mass index (BMI) > 25 had a longer median freedom time from leukopenia after initiation of VGC as compared to the group with baseline BMI < 25 (log-rank p = 0.035). These data suggest that in SOT recipients with normal renal function, receiving a fixed dose of VGC resulted in a significant, inverse relationship between body weight and the development of leukopenia.

Development of a Multi-grade Flour Sieving Machine: It’s Performance and Financial Feasibility

This study was conducted at the Engineering Shop of Southern Cagayan Research Center (SCRC) located at Minanga Norte, Iguig, Cagayan from March to April 2024. The design and fabrication of the flour sieving machine prototype were undertaken using local technology. The study generally aimed to develop and evaluate the performance of the multi-grade flour sieving machine using glutinous rice flour in terms of electrical energy consumption, sieving capacity, sieving efficiency, and weight of the sieved flour. A simple cost analysis was also done to determine the economic viability of the machine. The result of the study was analyzed using Analysis of Variance for a Completely Randomized Design for two factorial experiments with three replications. The treatments used were the different oscillating speeds (Factor A) and the inclination angle of the sieve (Factor B). Least Significant Differences (LSD) were used to determine differences between treatment means. The overall mean of the machine in terms of sieving capacity was 71.22 kg/h, sieving efficiency of 95.80 %, and electrical energy consumption of 0.046 kW-hr/kg. From a mean weight of 5.75kg, the composition of flour contains 2.51% coarse, 66.27% medium, 22.18% fine and 9.05% extra fine. All parameters used in the study were significantly influenced by Factor A. However, the result of LSD at 1% level of significance shows no difference to each other when considering Factor B alone. Likewise, the interaction of Factor A x B for both electrical energy consumption and sieving capacity was not significantly different. The equipment’s cost was Php 37,000.00, the break-even point was 6,437.42 kg /yr and the break-even usage was 11.30 days/yr. Keywords: Technology development, Locally fabricated sieving machine, Performance Testing, Flour grading, Philippines

Consumption of antimicrobials for use in food-producing animals in New Zealand, a measure of progress in reduction from 2015 to 2022

ABSTRACT Aims To describe progress in the reduction of the consumption of antimicrobial drugs by food-producing animals in New Zealand to 2022 and to identify the animal production sectors where progress has been greatest, and those where opportunities remain. Methods Data were sourced from official government and industry reports to update previous estimates of consumption (as sales) of antimicrobial products applied to food-producing animals in New Zealand, European countries and the USA. Antimicrobial consumption (AMC) was estimated based on the amount of active ingredient sold, per kg of animal biomass standardised to the probable weight at time of treatment or lifetime mean weight but not slaughter weight (population correction unit; PCU). This methodology is widely used for international comparisons. Results The estimated gross consumption of antimicrobials in food-producing animals in New Zealand increased steadily from 2005 to 2013 (from 7.54 to 11.28 mg/PCU). From 2014 to 2018 the estimate flattened to a 5-year rolling mean of 10.40 mg/PCU. In 2019–2021 the consumption dropped. The NZ consumption in 2022 was substantially lower, estimated at 5.84 mg/PCU, 29% less than in 2005 and 45% less than the peak that occurred in 2017. Conclusions The use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals in New Zealand is at the lowest rate for nearly 20 years, at 5.8 mg/PCU. Key progress has been made particularly by the poultry industry. Clear future areas to be targeted include prophylactic use of intramammary products applied when drying off dairy cows and a more widespread strategic use in treatment of clinical mastitis. Clinical relevance Veterinarians in New Zealand should leverage the significant reduction achieved in AMC by food-producing animals by continuing to improve strategies for antimicrobial use to further reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance.

Stochastic analysis of frequency-domain adaptive filters

This study investigates the convergence behaviors of a family of frequency-domain adaptive filters (FDAFs) under both exact- and under-modeling situations. The stochastic analysis is conducted by transforming the frequency-domain equations into their time-domain counterparts. We discuss the transient and steady-state convergence behaviors of four FDAF versions, i.e., the constrained FDAFs with and without step-normalization, the unconstrained FDAFs with and without step-normalization, and we also present the upper bounds of step size for mean stability and mean-square stability. Starting from the expression for the steady-state mean weight vector, this study investigates whether the FDAFs can converge to unknown system impulse responses and optimum Wiener solutions. Moreover, we provide the closed-form minimum mean-square error (MMSE) that each FDAF can achieve. The difference between the current work and our previous one is threefold. First, the presented time-domain analysis is much easier to handle and has a more explicit physical meaning than that in the frequency domain. Second, we here consider an arbitrary overlap factor between consecutive blocks, while our previous analysis only focuses on 50% overlap. Third, the presented MMSE expressions and excess mean-square error (EMSE) approximations have not been given before. Simulations reveal high consistency between the experimental and theoretical results.

Influence of irrigation and nutrition under ultra-high density planting of mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. 'Alphonso'

ABSTRACT The study was conducted to evaluate the irrigation regimes through drip and fertigation levels in ultra-high density planting (UHDP) of mango cv. 'Alphonso'. Three main irrigation regimes, namely, 75% Pan evaporation (I1), 100% Pan evaporation (I2) and 125% Pan evaporation (I3), and four fertigation levels in sub-plots, namely, 50% fertiliser recommended for mango (F1), 75% fertiliser recommended for mango (F2), 100% fertiliser recommended for mango (F3) and 125% fertiliser recommended for mango (F4) were evaluated. Twelve treatments were replicated three times in split plot design. Maximum number of fruits per tree, mean weight of fruit, length of mango fruit, highest tree yield and estimated yield per hectare were recorded in the I2F4 (100% Pan evaporation water per day per plant along with 125% fertiliser recommended for mango by fertigation) treatment. From this study, it could be inferred that in irrigation at 100% Pan evaporation 125% fertiliser for mango by fertigation (I2F4) in UHDP for mango cv. 'Alphonso' were found to be optimum for improving the productivity of the crop with high water and efficiency in fertiliser use.

SELECTING WELDING SAFETY GOGGLES BY MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION-MAKING APPROACHES— A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION

This paper presents a comprehensive application of the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach to evaluate and rank different models of welding goggles. The study uses both the Mean Weight and Entropy Weight methods in conjunction with five different MCDM techniques—TOPSIS, CODAS, COPRAS, SAW, and MOORA. These methods provide an insightful comparison and robust ranking of various goggle models. The analysis consistently highlighted 'ArcOne The Fly Safety Goggles' and '3M Speedglas 100 Series' as superior performers across multiple criteria.

Comparison of Low-Dose Naloxone with Ondansetron for Prevention of Sufentanil-Postoperative/Postdischarge Nausea and Vomiting

Background: Sufentanil is extensively used as a powerful painkiller for both initiating and sustaining general anesthesia, thanks to its advantages like potent prolonged action, analgesic effect, and hemodynamic stability. Nonetheless, it's important to consider sufentanil's negative side effects, such as postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), during the surgical period. Additionally, Naloxone, an antagonist for opioid receptors, is frequently utilized to counteract the lingering effects of opioids after surgery. Hence, we examined the preventative use of low-dose naloxone on PONV and studied its potential mechanism of action. Methods: After ethical approval and receiving IRCT code, 64 patients were evenly assigned to the naloxone and ondansetron groups prior to surgery. We also monitored the occurrence and intensity of PONV and the use of antiemetic medication within the first 24 hours after surgery. The main focus of our study was to analyze the PONV profile. Results: The mean age was 49.8±15.5 years, the mean weight 71.8±23 kg, and the mean BMI was 23.5±5.2 kg/m2. No significant difference was detected regarding mean oxygen saturation and arterial pressure between the groups at admission, 15, 30, 60, and 90 min after surgery (p&gt; 0.05). Adverse reactions showed no significant difference during the recovery time between the groups (p&gt; 0.05). The PONV severity and incidence are significantly higher in the naloxone group. Conclusion: Naloxone can be used as an antiemetic medicine, besides the ondansetron, and using this agent individually cannot prevent nausea and vomiting effectively.

Fast lane detection by fusing multi-scale contour feature extraction and weight mean normalization

Fast lane detection by fusing multi-scale contour feature extraction and weight mean normalization

Efficacy of 17β-estradiol on survival rate, sex reversal, and growth performance of climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) using the immersion method

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of estradiol on the survival rate, sex reversal ratio, and growth performance of climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) using the immersion method. A completely randomized design was applied, involving three estradiol (E2) treatment groups at concentrations of 1.0 mg/L (1E2), 1.5 mg/L (1.5E2), and 2 mg/L (2E2), along with a control group triplications. Seven-day-old fingerlings were exposed to the E2 solution for 2 h before being transferred to nurseries in hapas placed in earthen ponds at a density of 200 fish/m² for 60 days. After the hormone treatment and 60 days of rearing, the highest survival rate was observed in the control group (86.7%). The female ratios in the 17β- stradiol (E2) treatments ranged from 72.0% to 90.0%, which were significantly higher than the ratio of the control group (55.6%) (P &lt; 0.05). The 2E2 treatment demonstrated the highest female percentage, which was statistically greater than that observed in the 1E2 and 1.5E2 treatments (P &lt; 0.05). The mean weight and length of fish in the E2 treatments were greater than those in the control treatment, although the differences were not statistically significant (P &gt; 0.05). Additionally, the study revealed a direct proportionality between the average weight of experimental fish and the hormone concentration. Based on these findings, the recommended dose for achieving maximum mono-sex female climbing perch is 2 mg/L of 17β-estradiol.

Invasion of freshwater systems by the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 – new insights from Italian regions

The Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun 1896, is a highly invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, posing significant ecological and socio-economic threats in marine and estuarine environments. This study investigates the occurrence and potential impacts of C. sapidus in Italian inland waters, specifically examining specimens collected from an irrigation canal in Pomposa on the Adriatic coast and from the Ombrone River, flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Morphometric analysis revealed that males from Pomposa had a mean carapace width (CW) of 172.15 mm (±23.77 mm) and a mean weight of 282.10 g (±98.34 g), while females had a mean CW of 160.68 mm (±25.76 mm) and a mean weight of 173.26 g (±56.11 g). In contrast, males from the Ombrone River were significantly smaller, with a mean CW of 73.36 mm (±10.11 mm) and a mean weight of 25.33 g (±8.86 g). The sex ratio in Pomposa was heavily skewed towards males (3.26:1), suggesting a dominance of adult males in this freshwater habitat. A similar trend was observed in the Ombrone River, though based on a smaller sample size, with only 1 female among 10 specimens. The condition factor (K) was significantly higher for females (1.960) than for males (0.116), while growth coefficient (b) for males had a higher value (2.401) than that of females (1.788), indicating differing growth patterns. This study provides new ecological and biological data on C. sapidus in freshwater systems, underscoring the need for targeted monitoring and management to mitigate the spread and impact of this invasive species in Italian inland waters.

Effect of Floating and Sinking Formulated Feed on Growth and Production of GIFT Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Earthen Ponds

Tilapia farming is a significant sector in global aquaculture, with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) being one of the most widely cultivated species. However, the continued increase in tilapia production raises concerns about genetic deterioration. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different types of farm-made and floating feeds on the growth performance of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) tilapia in an on-farm trial (OFT) conducted in a farmer’s pond in Namakkal District, India. GIFT tilapia fingerlings with an average weight of 3.25 ± 0.15g were stocked at a density of 50,000 fingerlings/ha across three feeding treatments. In Treatment 1 (T1), fish were fed low-cost handmade feed, while Treatment 2 (T2) used TNJFU feed, and Treatment 3 (T3) involved a commercially available floating feed with 34.53% crude protein. Fingerlings were initially fed twice a day at 18% of their body weight for the first 15 days, after which the feeding rate was gradually reduced to 1.8% until harvest. Growth was measured biweekly using a measuring board and balance. Water quality parameters, including temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, ammonia (NH3), nitrite (NO2), and nitrate (NO3) concentrations, were monitored, as these factors significantly influence fish growth, feed intake, health, and survival. Results cleared that final mean weight and weight gain were significantly (P≤0.05) better with (T3), while lower values were recorded with (T2 and T1), Feed intake was significantly decreased with (T3). FCR values were significantly better with T3 than T2 and T3. Survival rates insignificantly affected and ranged between 96 ± 0.88 (T3) and 85 ± 0.88(T2) 72± 0.58(T1). The Production and net profit showed significant differences (P &lt; 0.05) in gross production and net profit per hectare across the treatments. Treatment (T3) resulted in the highest production (7247.47 ± 9.63 kg/ha) and net profit ($203,740), followed by Treatment (T2) with 6588.88 ± 38.14 kg/ha and $195,080, and Treatment (T1) with 5354.36 ± 23.61 kg/ha and $2,567.73. Based on results obtained in this study and on the economical evaluation, it could be concluded that feeding floating pellets were better than feeding sinking other types of pellets, in addition to the increasing of protein percentage in diet was best in terms of economic efficiency compared with other treatments.

Assessment of extreme climate stress across China’s maize harvest region in CMIP6 simulations

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of climate extremes, which will negatively impact crop production. As one of the main food and feed crops, maize is also vulnerable to extreme climate events. In order to accurately and comprehensively assess the future climate risk to maize, it is urgent to project and evaluate the stress of extreme climate related maize production under future climate scenarios. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the spatio-temporal changes in the frequency and intensity of six extreme climate indices (ECIs) across China’s maize harvest region by using a multi-model ensemble method, and examined the capability of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) to capture these variations. We found that the Independence Weight Mean (IWM) ensemble results calculated by multiple Global Climate Models (GCMs) with bias correction could better reproduce each ECI. The results indicated that heat stress for maize showed consistent increase trends under four future climate scenarios in the 21st century. The intensity and frequency of the three extreme temperature indices in 2080s were significantly higher than these in 2040s, and in the high emission scenario were significantly higher than these in the low emission scenario. The three extreme precipitation indices changed slightly in the future, but the spatial changes were more significant. Therefore, with the uncertainty of climate change and the differences of climate characteristics in different regions, the optimization of specific management measures should be considered in combination with the specific conditions of future local climate change.

Modified Technique of Temporal Osteotomy in Fronto-Orbital Advancement in Anterior Plagiocephaly

Background: Nonsyndromic anterior plagiocephaly is one of the most common types of craniosynostosis. In recent years, various surgical techniques have been introduced to correct this deformity, which many surgeons believe have not been associated with adequate clinical and aesthetic results. The aim of the study was to introduce a new surgical technique (modified Z-technique of temporal region osteotomy) and to evaluate the aesthetic and anthropometric outcomes of frontal orbital correction for the management of patients with nonsyndromic anterior plagiocephaly. Methods: In this cohort study, 47 patients with nonsyndromic anterior plagiocephaly who were operated on in 15-Khordad and Mofid Hospital affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences during the years 2018 to 2023 with the modified z-technique of temporal region osteotomy, were investigated. Aesthetic outcomes and changes in anthropometric parameters of the skull were evaluated 2 years after surgery. Also, the length of surgery, the mean length of stay in the hospital and ICU, the amount of bleeding and postoperative complications were evaluated. Postoperative recurrence of deformity was evaluated according to the Whitaker classification. Results: The mean age of the patients was 11.1±4.15 months. Twenty-seven (57.44%) patients were female and 20 patients were male. The mean follow-up period of the patients was 19.3±3.54 months. The mean weight of the patients was 13.12±7.45 kg. The mean length of hospital stay and ICU stay were 5.44±0.50 and 1.78±0.63 days, respectively. A significant positive correlation was observed between the duration of surgery and the duration of stay in ICU (r=0.23, P=0.023). According to Whitaker’s classification, 39 (82.97%) patients were classified in class I, 4 (8.51%) in class II, 2 (4.25%) in class III, and 2 (4.25) in class IV. Aesthetically, the surgical results were excellent (class I Whitaker) in 82.97%. No serious complications such as infection, CSF rhinorrhea, hematoma occurrence, skull defect occurrence, fever, bleeding, and postoperative mortality were reported. Conclusion: Our study showed that the modified z-technique of temporal region osteotomy was associated with good and excellent aesthetic and clinical results. Bleeding rate, average length of hospital stay, and average length of ICU stay in patients with nonsyndromic anterior plagiocephaly treated with modified Z-technique of temporal region osteotomy were low and comparable with other with other reported series. No cases of serious complication and death were reported during the follow-up period. Nonsyndromic anterior plagiocephaly can be successfully treated with modified Z-technique of temporal region osteotomy with good results and low complication rates.

To evaluate the outcome of intramedullary nailing in femoral shaft fractures in children.

Objective: To determine the frequency of outcome of intramedullary nailing in femoral shaft fractures in children. Study Design: Case series study. Setting: Department of Orthopedics, ATH, Abbotabad. Period: 27th February 2020 to 26th August 2020. Methods: We included 85 patients with femoral shaft fractures, and age 5 to 10 years of both genders, meeting the criteria and consent was taken. Each patient was followed fortnightly for assessment 2 of outcome (excellent/satisfactory/poor) after 3months post-operative. Results: In our study age ranges from 5 to 10 years with mean age of 7.14 ± 0.90 years. Majority of the patients 60 (70.59%) were between 5 to 7 years of age. We had 64 (75.29%) males and 21 (24.71%) were females. Mean weight was 24.35 ± 4.66 kg. Mean duration of symptoms was 6.48 ± 2.45 days. In this study, the excellent outcome was seen in 70 (82.35%) patients, satisfactory in 10 (11.77%) and poor outcome in 05 (5.88%) patients. Conclusion: This study concluded that intramedullary nail is simple, effective, minimally invasive procedure for treating femoral shaft fractures in children with excellent outcome.

Dietary Mulberry leaf 1-deoxynijirimycin supplementation shortens villus height and improves intestinal barrier in fattening rabbits.

The current study investigated the effects of mulberry 1-deoxynijirimycin (DNJ) on the digestion ability, intestinal morphology, and intestinal barrier of rabbits. A total of 36 New Zealand White rabbits (male) about 45 days old (mean body weight of 1.05±0.04 kg) were reared and commercial diets were employed, and afterwards divided into three groups (n = 12) with different levels of DNJ extract additive in feed: T0 (0 g/kg), T1 (0.35 g/kg), T2 (0.7 g/kg) for 28 d. The results demonstrated that T2 decreased the average daily gain (p<0.05). T1 and T2 decreased villus height and inflammatory factor levels as compared with T0 (p<0.05). DNJ significantly decreased the content of valeric acid (p<0.05). The content of acetic acid, propionic acid, iso butyric acid, iso valeric acid in T1 were higher than those in T0 and T2 (p<0.05). The content of butyric acid in T2 was lower than it in T0 and T1 (p<0.05). The content of caproic acid was firstly improved then reduced as the DNJ concentration improved (p<0.05). T2 significantly increased the abundance of dgA-11_gut_group and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group while decreased Bacteroide and Ralstonia as compared with T0 (p<0.05). Compared with T0, T1, and T2 significantly improved the gene expression of JAM2, JAM3, mucin4, mucin6 (p<0.05), T1 significantly decreased the expression of occluding while T2 significantly increased (p<0.05), T2 significantly increased the expression of claudin1 and claudin2 (p<0.05). DNJ at high level changed microbiome compositions, inhibited inflammation, and improved intestinal barrier while it decreased the growth performance and shorted villus height in rabbit jejunum by regulating short chain fatty acid compositions in rabbits.

Effects of chronic cold stress and thermal stress on growth performance, hepatic apoptosis, oxidative stress, immune response and gut microbiota of juvenile hybrid sturgeon (Acipenser baerii ♀ × A. schrenkii ♂)

The current study was conducted to investigate the effects of chronic cold stress and thermal stress on the growth performance, hepatic oxidative status, immune response, apoptosis and gut microbiota in juvenile hybrid sturgeon. The fish (initial mean weight: 21.4 ± 0.3 g) was reared at three temperatures (14 °C, 22 °C, and 30 °C) for 16 d, which were termed as low temperature group (LT), moderate temperature group (MT), and high temperature group (HT), respectively, and the second group was regarded as control group in this study. Each group was assigned randomly to three tanks with 15 fish per replica. The results indicated that cold stress resulted in a significant reduction of growth metrics and a significant increase of feed conversion ratio in fish compared with MT group. Interestingly, cold stress increased hepatocyte apoptosis revealed by TUNEL staining, along with nuclear disappearance in H&E-stained sections and elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels. Transcriptional levels of apoptosis-related genes and toll-like receptor signaling pathway components were significantly up-regulated in liver under cold stress. Compared with control group, in terms of thermal stress, the growth performance and feed utilization of fish were declined to some extent compared with MT group. Moreover, high temperature significantly elevated hepatic productions of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide, as well as increased activities of some antioxidant enzymes in liver. In addition, low and high temperature induce changes in the composition of gut microbiota. Overall, the results suggested that cold stress decelerated growth performance, induced hepatocyte apoptosis, and enhanced innate immunity in hybrid sturgeon to cope with additional stressors. Whereas, thermal stress resulted in hepatic oxidative stress in liver and the protective responses in the antioxidant enzymes in fish were activated. These results provided insights into the different physiological adaptation strategies in responsive to cold stress and thermal stress in this cold-water fish.

Safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of multiple-dose noiiglutide (SHR20004), a novel GLP-1 receptor agonist, in Chinese obese subjects without diabetes mellitus.

This study aimed to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of noiiglutide (SHR20004), a novel glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, in Chinese obese participants without diabetes mellitus (DM). This phase 1, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled adult participants with body mass index (BMI) ≥28 kg/m2. The study used a titration method, each subject received daily noiiglutide injection for 3-6 weeks, until reaching the final dose of 0.18, 0.24, 0.30 or 0.36 mg per day. Each dose group consisted of 10 participants, with eight receiving noiiglutide and two receiving placebos. Safety assessments were conducted throughout the study, and pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics were evaluated. Most treatment-emergent adverse events were of mild to moderate in severity, with no serious adverse event or adverse event led to withdraw. Blood concentration of noiiglutide reached a steady state after daily administration for 4 days, with no significant accumulation. Mean elimination half-life (t1/2) was between 9.90 and 11.8 h at steady state. At the end of treatment, the mean weight loss compared to baseline for the placebo group and each treatment group was -1.89, -3.26, -5.45, -4.35 and -7.46 kg respectively. The weight and BMI reductions observed in each noiiglutide treatment group were greater than those in the placebo group and exhibited an increasing trend with extended administration duration. Daily administration of noiiglutide using a titration method was well tolerated by Chinese obese participants without DM and showed potential therapeutic effect for weight loss.

Effects of Abelmoschus esculentus leaf as binder in the diet of Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings

Abstract. The experiment was conducted to assess the use of Abelomoschus esculentus leaves soaked for 24 hours as binders in the production of fish feed pellets. Physical properties and dietary effects of the diets were assessed. There was no significant difference (P&gt;0.05) in the sinking rate (cm.sec-1) and bulk density (g/cm3) of experimental diets. There were significant differences (P&lt;0.05) in the thickness strength (mm), water absorption index, hardness (mm) and water stability (%) of experimental diets. Diets MAA and MAW had the highest water stability (88.90±0.46%) while the lowest one was in diet MAI (85.20±0.10%). There was a significant difference (P&lt;0.05) in the friability of experimental diets at different revolution speeds. The highest protein retention was recorded in diet MAI (95.83%) and the lowest one was in diet WHH (91.24%). There was no significant difference (P&gt;0.05) in the mean final weight, mean weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, and feed efficiency of experimental fish-feed experimental diets. Diet MWA had the lowest FCR, the highest FER and SGR. There was a significant difference (P&lt;0.05) in the crude protein, fat, and ash content of carcass of fish fed experimental diets. Fish fed diet MWA had the highest carcass crude protein content (49.27±1.51) and the lowest one was in diet WHE (47.15±0.24). The results showed that A. esculentus leaves can be used as a binder in the production of quality fish feed pellets.

Efficacy and safety profile of 2nd line Anti TB drugs in DRTB patients in a tertiary care hospital of South Punjab.

The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy and safety profile of 2nd line Anti TB drugs in DR TB patients in a tertiary care hospital of South Punjab. This retrospective cohort study included patients who received therapy for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) between March 2018 and June 2021 at the Pulmonology Department of Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan. Sociodemographic data, TB treatment history, treatment schemes, safety profiles, weight measures, and sputum smear results were obtained from medical records. Outcome variables of interest included body weight, sputum smear grading for treatment efficacy, and ADRs for safety assessment. The study showed a progressive decline in positive sputum smear results over the 24-month treatment for MDR-TB, with an increase in negative smear results from 33 (9.50%) at baseline to 97 (28.0%) by Month 24. Furthermore, the mean body weight significantly increased every three months throughout the trial. Beginning at 43.83 kg at baseline, the mean weight increased to 50.02 kg by the end of 24 months. ADRs were mostly mild to moderate, including depression (18.4%), arthralgia (17.1%), anxiety (16.5%), and Qtc prolongation (11.0%). The treatment adhered to international guidelines, using a tailored combination of second-line drugs and adjusting regimens based on drug resistance patterns from sputum culture and DST. The study findings suggest the efficacy of second-line anti-TB drug regimens in achieving sputum smear conversion and positive treatment outcomes in patients with MDR-TB. However, the occurrence of ADRs highlights the need for careful monitoring and management during treatment.