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A remote sensing strategy was investigated to evaluate how temperature and rainfall affect the deforestation of economically important tree species in Wudil, Kano Nigeria. The research was carried out in Wudil. To assess the vulnerability of the study area to desertification and the abundance of economic tree species. Landsat satellite products (Landsat 5, 7, 8. were used as the sources of remote sensing imageries. These products were sourced for intervals of ten years, from 1986 to 1999, 2006 to 2016, and 2020. Standardized temperature anomaly and precipitation index from 1986 to 2020 were analyzed using primary and secondary data obtained for information on temperature and rainfall, a hundred questionnaires were used to analyze how much anthropogenic activity has contributed to desertification in the area by looking at their socioeconomic activities, roads, and infrastructural development. To determine the quantity, distribution, growth, and yield of all the species, a transect of one square kilometer was surveyed using regional techniques in each of the four cardinal directions. Principal component analysis revealed that the activity variables and activity observations for 1999, 2006, 2016, and 2016 were all negative, while the years 1986 and 2020 were positive. Increased trends in temperature and decreasing trends in rainfall are evident using the Mann-Kendall analysis, with P-values of 0.0 and 0.003, respectively, which are smaller than the alpha value of 0.05. The main causes of drought and desertification vulnerability according to the findings include variations in the characteristics of rainfall, human activities, and overgrazing. More tree-planting initiatives should be encouraged, ideally making them an annual event in the study region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cholera, one of the most common cause of acute watery diarrhea in developing world, requires, along with correction of fluid and electrolyte imbalance, antibiotics in to shorten the duration of disease. Emergence of reistance with recommended antimicrobials is becoming an issue to treat Vibrio Cholerae. The purpose of this research was to determine the frequency and antimicrobial resistance pattern of Vibrio cholera isolated in stool samples at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: Stool samples were received from both in-patients and out-patients in sterile leak proof containers. All Vibrio Cholerae isolated from stool samples were included in the study. The stool samples were inoculated on Thiosulphate-citrate-Bile salts-sucrose agar. Suspected Vibrio cholerae colonies were stained by Gram’s stain Method. Oxidase positive colonies were isolated on Mueller Hinton agar (MHA). Slide agglunation tests were done to confirm presence of Vibrio cholera and its serotypes. Results: A total of 352 (6.37%) Isolates of Vibrio Cholerae archieved from 5524 stool samples.Vibrio Cholerae serotype Ogawa isolated 188/352 (352%), while 164(46.6%) were Vibrio cholerae serotype Inaba. Predominant the isolates were from male patients 184/352 (52.3%), while from females were 168/352 (47.7%). Male to female ratio was 1.095:1. Mean age of patients with positive Vibrio cholerae isolates was 27.15 ± 25.61 years. The Frequency of resistance with Co-trimoxazole, Tetracyline, Ampicillin, Chloramphanicol and Ciprofloxacin was 66.2%, 40.9%, 8.8%, 2.6% and 1.4% respectively. Conclusion: The multiple antimicrobials recommended to treat Cholera have been found to develop alarming resistance among Vibrio Cholerae isolates. This situation needs a regular surveillance of commonly used antibiotics and urgent discovery of alternative antibiotics. Key Words: Frequency.Antimicrobial resistance pattern.Vibriocholerae. Stool.

Reliable, accurate, and timely information about oceans is important for many applications, including water resource management, hydrological cycle monitoring, environmental studies, agricultural and ecosystem health applications, economy, and the overall health of the environment. In this regard, remote sensing (RS) systems offer exceptional advantages for mapping and monitoring various oceanographic parameters with acceptable temporal and spatial resolutions over the oceans and coastal areas. So far, different methods have been developed to study oceans using various RS systems. This urges the necessity of having review studies that comprehensively discuss various RS systems, including passive and active sensors, and their advantages and limitations for ocean applications. In this article, the goal is to review most RS systems and approaches that have been worked on marine applications. This review paper is divided into two parts. Part 1 is dedicated to the passive RS systems for ocean studies. As such, four primary passive systems, including optical, thermal infrared radiometers, microwave radiometers, and Global Navigation Satellite Systems, are comprehensively discussed. Additionally, this article summarizes the main passive RS sensors and satellites, which have been utilized for different oceanographic applications. Finally, various oceanographic parameters, which can be retrieved from the data acquired by passive RS systems, along with the corresponding methods, are discussed.

Abstract Background A study was undertaken to assess the effect of bioactive peptides derived from cottonseed (BPC) supplementation on productive performance, egg quality, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of serum and yolk in laying hens. A total of seventy-two 22-week-old Bovans White hens were randomly allocated to 12 cages to have similar cage body weight (1520 ± 5 g). The dietary treatments consist of basal diet (control) and basal diet supplements with 5 g BPC/kg of diet. Recording data initiated after 2 weeks. Results In the second week, hens fed diets containing BPC had significantly higher egg mass and egg weight (P

This experiment aimed to examine the effect of periodical application of bioactive peptides derived from cottonseed (BPC) in comparison with using sub-therapeutic doses of lincomycin and the excessive inclusion of vitamin E on performance, immunity, total antioxidant capacity of serum and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 240 one-d-old male broiler chicks with similar initial weight (Ross strain) were randomly assigned to 6 groups (8 chicks/pen): non-treated group (basal diet), basal diet supplemented with 2 mg/kg lincomycin, basal diet supplemented with 50 IU vitamin E, basal diet supplemented with 6 g BPC/kg in starter period, basal diet supplemented with 6 g BPC/kg in starter and grower periods and basal diet supplemented with 6 g BPC/kg throughout the whole experiment. The highest final body weight was obtained in the group supplemented with BPC in starter and grower periods. In the finisher phase, broilers fed the diet containing BPC in the starter period and in the whole trial had significantly (P 0.05). Broilers supplemented with BPC in starter and grower, and in the whole trial had significantly (P

The objective of the present experiment was to evaluate the effect of bioactive peptides derived from cottonseed (BPC) on chicken performance, immunity, the total antioxidant activity of serum and intestinal morphology. A total of 280 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated into 1 of the following 7 experimental treatments (5 replicates per treatment with 8 broilers per pen). Five diets were formulated to contain 0 (control), 3, 4, 5 and 6 g BPC/kg of diet in comparison with control + 50 U excessive dietary vitamin E and control + 2 mg lincomycin. At 40 d the BW tended to improve in broilers supplemented with an antibiotic, 3, 5 and 6 g BPC/kg groups (p > .05). In the whole trial, supplementing 5 g BPC/kg increased feed intake of broilers in comparison to other groups (p

The aim of studywas to compare efficacy of 1-α(OH)D3 alone or in combination with phytase and 1-α(OH)D3 in combination of phytase and different concentration of cholecalciferol on performance, tibia parameters, andplasma minerals of quails fed Ca-P deficient diet. A total of 280 mixed sex 5-d-old quails were allocated to 7 treatments with 5 replicates. The vitamin supplement which incorporated to basal diet did not contain cholecalciferol. The dietary treatments were as follows: Ca-P deficient diet (basal diet); basal diet + 500 FTU phytase/kg of diet; basal diet + phytase + 5 μg of 1-α(OH)D3 kg-1 of diet;basal diet + phytase + 5 μg of 1-α(OH)D3 and 250, 500, 750 and 1,000 IU of cholecalciferol kg-1of diet. The highest final body weight and the best feed conversion ratioobtained in the group supplemented with 1,000 IU cholecalciferol kg-1 of diet (p < 0.05). Supplementation of 1-α(OH)D3 alone or in combination with phytase and phytase and different concentration of cholecalciferol could improve tibia parameters (p < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation of 1-α(OH)D3 alone to Ca-P deficient diet could maximize tibia mineralization, whereas it couldn't maximize performance, performance criteria were maximized by supplementation of 1,000 IU cholecalciferol kg-1 of diet.

Copyright of Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal is the property of World Health Organization and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of dried powder of Calendula officinalis L. (marigold) flower as an antibiotic growth promoter substitute on growth performance, organ weights, and immunological parameters in broilers. A total of 240 mixed sex broilers (Ross 308) at 1 d of age were individually weighed and randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 4 replicates of 15 birds for 6 wk. The dietary treatments were: 1) a basal diet (control); 2) control plus 4.5 mg flavophospholipol/kg of diet; 3) control plus 5 g marigold/kg of diet; 4) control plus 10 g marigold/kg of diet. Antibody responses against Newcastle (NDV), influenza (AI) viruses, and sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were measured. Supplementing 4.5 mg flavophospholipol/kg of diet enhanced body weight (BW) of broilers at 14 and 28 d of age (P

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary 1α-hydroxycholecalciferol (1α-OH-D3) in calcium (Ca)- and phosphorous (P)-deficient diets on growth performance, carcass characteristics, tibia related parameters, and immune responses of broiler chickens. A total of 280 one-day-old broiler chickens (Ross 308) were assigned to 20 floor pens and 4 dietary treatments with 5 replicates. Dietary treatments consisted of starter diets (starter diet of treatment A: 1% Ca, 0.73% total phosphorus [tP]; starter diet of treatment B: 0.85% Ca, 0.64% tP + 5 μg/kg of 1α-OH-D3; starter diet of treatment C: 0.85% Ca, 0.59% tP + 5 μg/kg of 1α-OH-D3; starter diet of treatment D: 0.85% Ca, 0.54% tP + 5 μg/kg of 1α-OH-D3), grower diets (grower diet of treatment A: 0.86% Ca, 0.68% tP; grower diet of treatment B: 0.73% Ca, 0.59% tP + 5 μg/kg of 1α-OH-D3; grower diet of treatment C: 0.73% Ca, 0.55% tP + 5 μg/kg of 1α-OH-D3; grower diet of treatment D: 0.73% Ca, 0.50% tP + 5 μg/kg of 1α-OH-D3) and finisher diets (finisher diet of treatment A: 0.81% Ca, 0.64% tP; finisher diet of treatment B: 0.68% Ca, 0.56% tP + 5 μg/kg of 1α-OH-D3; finisher diet of treatment C: 0.68% Ca, 0.52% tP + 5 μg/kg of 1α-OH-D3; finisher diet of treatment D: 0.68% Ca, 0.48% tP + 5 μg/kg of 1α-OH-D3). Results showed that body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI) of broilers in treatment B were similar to those of broilers in treatment A at the end of the trial (P 0.05). Dietary treatments had no significant effect on antibody titers against Newcastle and Influenza disease viruses as well as sheep red blood cells. Dietary treatments had no significant effects on tibia ash and tibial dyschondroplasia score. Broilers fed Ca-P deficient diets had lower tibia Ca and P than those in treatment A (P

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an infectious disease that is rarely seen in ulcerative colitis patients. Both diseases commonly involve the colon. It has been shown that treating these patients with anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy leads to remission of both conditions. We hereby present the case of a 7-year-old boy who was initially managed as a case ulcerative colitis after undergoing extensive workup and later on tested positive for HIV infection and was managed via mesalamine and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Mesalamine therapy along with HAART can be used to treat ulcerative colitis patients infected with HIV infection in resource limited countries.

This experiment was conducted to examine the effects of 1-α(OH)D3 alone or in combination with different levels of cholecalciferol on performance, and tibia parameters of one-d–old male broilers fed a tibial dyschondroplasia (TD)-inducing diet. A total of three hundred male broilers were randomly allocated to 5 treatment groups with 4 replicates. The dietary treatments consisted of TD inducing diet, TD inducing diet supplemented with 5 μg per kg of 1-α(OH)D3; TD inducing diet supplemented with 5 μg per kg of 1-α(OH)D3 and 1,500; 3,000 or 5,000 IU cholecalciferol kg-1 of diet. At 42 d of age, broiler chickens fed diets containing 1-α(OH)D3 and 1,500 IU cholecalciferol kg-1 of diet had higher body weight (p < 0.05). In the complete experimental period the best FCR and the highest daily weight gain were obtained in broilers supplemented with 1-α(OH)D3 and 1,500 IU cholecalciferol kg-1 of diet. Broilers supplemented with 1-α(OH)D3 and 1,500 IU cholecalciferol kg-1 of diet had significantly lower incidence and severity of TD in comparison with other groups. In conclusion, the results indicated that the supplementation of 1-α(OH)D3 in combination of 1,500 IU cholecalciferol kg-1 of diet could maximize tibia bone ash, performance and prevent TD in broilers fed TD inducing diet.

This experiment was conducted to determine whether dietary cholecalciferol will alleviate a calcium and phosphorous (CaP) deficiency when one-alpha-hydroxy-cholecalciferol, 1α(OH)D3, is supplemented, and to determine the effects of adequate and inadequate CaP when 1α(OH)D3 is supplemented and vitamin D3 is adequate. A total of 144 one-d-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were allocated to 3 treatments. The dietary treatments were as follows: treatment A, adequate CaP + cholecalciferol + 5 μg/kg 1α(OH)D3; treatment B, inadequate CaP + cholecalciferol + 5 μg/kg 1α(OH)D3; treatment C, inadequate CaP + 5 μg/kg 1α(OH)D3. All diets were mixed with 500 FTU/kg of phytase, and cholecalciferol was provided in 5,000 IU/kg except for treatment C that fed diets without vitamin D3. The CaP levels in the adequate diets were 0.90% Ca, 0.66% total phosphorus (tP); 0.75% Ca, 0.59% tP; 0.69% Ca, 0.54% tP for the starter, grower and finisher periods. At d 42 of age, broilers were inspected for incidence and severity of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD). The results showed that inadequate CaP supplementation with cholecalciferol significantly decreased the incidence of TD, score and tibia ash compared with broilers fed the same diet in the absence of cholecalciferol (P

The present study was to evaluate thyme and ajwain as antibiotic growth promoter substitutions on growth performance, carcass characteristics and serum biochemistry in Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica). A feeding trial was conducted over 28 d with 4 groups of Japanese quails fed experimental diets formulated to provide no supplementation (control), or control + 55 mg zinc bacitracin/kg, 2 g thyme/kg, and 2 g ajwain/kg. At 35 d of age, 2 quails from each replicate were sacrificed and eviscerated. Liver, empty small intestine and heart were weighed and calculated as a percentage of live body weight. The carcasses were weighed and the cuts were performed to evaluate the yield of legs and breast. At 35 d of age, 2 quails per replicate were chosen and approximately 1-mL blood samples were collected through brachial vein, and concentrations of albumin, total protein, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and high density lipoprotein (HDL) -cholesterol were determined. Final body weight were not affected by the dietary treatment whereas, it tended to increase in quails supplemented with antibiotic. Overall feed conversation ratio values were similar though it tended to improve in quails supplemented with thyme compared with other groups. Daily feed intake, internal organ weights and carcass traits were not influenced by the dietary treatments. Serum total cholesterol contents were lower (P

There has recently been much interest in the long-term effects of early growth conditions. Telomeres, the repetitive DNA sequences that cap eukaryotic chromosomes, are potentially a useful tool for studying such effects. Telomeres shorten at each cell division and considerable evidence links the rate at which they do so with cellular and organismal senescence. Previous research has shown that telomere loss is greatest during early life, so conditions during this time could significantly affect telomere attrition, and in this way, possibly also senescence rates. However, relatively little is known about the pattern of telomere loss under natural conditions. We examined telomere dynamics during growth under natural conditions in the lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus. Although telomere length significantly decreased with age during the chick period, there was a considerable amount of inter-individual variation in both absolute telomere length and the rate of telomere shortening. While no one factor explained a significant amount of this variation, the trends in the data suggested that circumstances during embryonic growth were linked to hatching telomere length. There was a trend for larger hatchlings to have shorter telomere lengths [effect size=−0.18±0.11 kb, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.40, 0.05], suggesting that embryonic growth rate could have affected telomere attrition. Independent of this trend, males tended to have longer telomeres at hatching than females (effect size=0.77±0.40 kb, 95% CI: 1.55, −0.02). Egg volume and laying date had no relation to telomere length. There was a strong relationship between telomere length at hatching and at 10 days old (effect size=0.52±0.22, 95% CI: 0.94, 0.09), demonstrating that the variation in hatching telomere length caused by embryonic growth conditions remained consistent during the initial post-hatching period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomerase targeted cancer gene therapy is being exploited for treatment of human cancer. The high incidence and many comparative aspects of human and canine cancer and the compliance and dedication of dog owners to treat cancer makes the canine pet population a good clinical model for investigating and developing new cancer therapeutics. Here, we report that the human telomerase promoter operates in canine cells, suggesting that human telomerase promoter-driven cancer therapy can be used to treat cancer in canines. Therefore, the canine pet population can act as a clinical model for new drug development based on telomerase therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal is the property of World Health Organization and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The use of viruses to treat cancer has been studied for decades. With the advancement of molecular biology, viruses have been modified and genetically engineered to optimize their ability to target cancer cells. Canine viruses, such as distemper virus and adenovirus, are being exploited for the treatment of canine cancer as the dog has proven to be a good comparative model for human cancer research and proof of concept investigations. In this review, we introduce the concept of oncolytic viruses and describe some of the preliminary attempts to use oncolytic viruses for the treatment of canine cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this literature review was to examine the utilization of church-based interventions designed for African-Americans in the community for the management of overweight and obesity and prevention of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. PubMed, CINAHL, and Google scholar were searched using the following key search terms: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, prevention, management, African-Americans, Blacks, weight loss, weight management, church-based interventions, community interventions, faith-based interventions, and prayer. Sixteen primary studies were located and six met inclusion criteria. The studies were separated into two categories: faith-placed interventions or collaborative interventions. The overall results demonstrated significant weight loss ranging from 2.3 (SD = 4.1) pounds to 10.1 (SD = 10.3) pounds post-intervention. Further research is needed to understand interventions that are church-based and culturally sensitive for African-Americans. Weight management is important in order to decrease the morbidity and mortality related to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the African-American population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: BPV-1 DNA is the predominant viral type detected in equine sarcoids and represents the only reported natural cross species infection of papillomaviruses. In this study, nucleotide variations in the LCR and the E2 regions of equine sarcoid-associated BPV-1 were characterised by sequence analysis. Variants particular to sarcoid BPV-1 were identified in both the LCR and E2 sequence. The functionality of the most common LCR variant was examined in equine and bovine cells. These studies showed that the activity of the variant LCR was higher in equine cells than bovine cells; the activity of the variant LCR in the presence of the E2 variant was similar to the reference/wild-type sequences in equine cells, whereas in bovine cells the variant function was reduced by 50%. These data suggest the viral BPV variants commonly detected in sarcoids have an enhanced function in equine cells compared to their function in bovine cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Telomere shortening in normal somatic cells has been proposed as a major barrier to unlimited cellular proliferation. Telomerase is an enzyme capable of maintaining telomere length, and thus bypassing this barrier. In human beings, telomerase activity is restricted to cancer cells and cells of stem or germ cell lineages. Dogs represent a potentially useful clinical model for the development of telomerase-based therapies because telomerase activity is also restricted to cancer cells and stem cells in this species. We examined the ability of telomestatin to inhibit telomerase activity in telomerase-positive D17 and CMT7 canine cancer cell lines. At a concentration of 2 μM, telomestatin treatment resulted in a decrease in telomerase activity, telomere shortening, growth inhibition and apoptosis in telomerase-positive cancer cells. These effects were not seen in telomerase-negative skin fibroblasts or negative controls. These results confirm that telomestatin specifically inhibits telomerase activity in canine cancer cells and strengthens the usefulness of dogs as a model for testing telomerase-based therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a preliminary evaluation of particle-mediated bombardment via the Helios gene gun for the delivery of therapeutic genes to synovial cells in culture. A reporter gene, enhanced green fluorescent protein, was delivered to rabbit synovial fibroblasts (HIG-82) using gold particle (1.0 µm) bombardment to evaluate transfection efficiency at helium pressures of 100 and 150 psi. Transfection of cells occurred at these pressures despite some cell death. The in vitro delivery of gold particles to samples of synovial membrane and articular cartilage from a freshly euthanased dog was also studied to examine depth of penetration of gold particles (1.0 µm) at helium pressures of 250 and 500 psi. Light microscopical examination of histological sections of the synovial membrane showed that particles of gold had penetrated the lining cells of the synovium. However, no gold particles had penetrated the articular cartilage even at 500 psi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased telomerase activity (TA) has been found in human and canine solid tumours, stem cells and somatic tissues with enhanced proliferative potential. The relationship between TA in normal and malignant lymphoid tissues remains unclear. The TA and the expression of canine telomerase reverse transcriptase catalytic subunit (dogTERT) messenger RNA (mRNA) were analyzed in malignant lymph nodes from 30 dogs with lymphoma, from two dogs with non-neoplastic illness and from two clinically normal dogs, demonstrating a statistically significant difference between TA in lymphoma lymph nodes ( n= 30) and normal nodes ( n= 4) but no significant difference in dogTERT mRNA expression. In addition, the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase catalytic subunit (TERT) protein and Ki67 was analyzed in malignant lymph nodes from 10 dogs with lymphoma and from two clinically normal dogs by immunohistochemistry. TERT expression was associated with Ki67 in all lymphoma nodes ( n= 10), and differences were illustrated between TERT and Ki67 expression between lymphoma ( n= 10) and non-lymphoma ( n= 2) nodes. This data support further investigation of telomerase in canine haematopoietic neoplasia through large-scale prospective studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advances in conventional therapeutics, cancer remains an invariably fatal disease, the major challenge being to develop tumour-specific cancer treatment strategies. Current treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy rely on a crude distinction between cancer cells and normal cells. However, with an increased understanding of the molecular events in the development of cancer, it is possible that far more innovative and targeted approaches can be developed. From studies on humans and dogs, the enzyme telomerase has emerged as a central unifying mechanism underlying the immortal phenotype of cancer and has thus become a candidate for differentiating between normal and cancer cells. The level and frequency of telomerase activity and component gene expression in cancers reinforces this as a potential target for cancer therapies. This article describes two approaches to target cancer by capitalizing on the expression of this enzyme. In the first approach, we target the enzyme itself, the goal being to cause cancer cell death. In the second approach, we utilize the respective gene promoters for telomerase component enzymes to drive expression of a reporter gene in cancer cell lines. The results demonstrated that targeted gene expression using promoter elements can be achieved specifically in telomerase-positive cell lines. However, targeting the enzyme itself proved less successful and warrants investigations into alternative approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: An in vivo experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of ethanolic extract of propolis, on growth performance, carcass traits, serum biochemistry, and humoral immune responses of chickens, as compared with the antibiotic flavophospholipol. Materials and Methods: 312 1-day-old as-hatched broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allotted to 6 treatments with 4 replicate pens per treatment. The 6 dietary treatments fed for 42 days consisted of a corn-soybean meal basal diet (control); control plus 4.5 mg/kg flavophospholipol, and control plus 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg ethanol extracts of propolis, respectively. Results: Neither propolis nor antibiotic affected the performance criteria; however, dietary treatments tended to enhance to enhance body weight and daily feed intake of broiler chickens compared with control group (p>0.05). None of the dietary treatments significantly altered feed: Gain though; broilers fed diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg propolis had better feed: gain values compared with other groups in starter, and grower phases as well as the whole experimental period (p>0.05). Carcass yield and internal organ relative weights were not affected by treatments on day 42, except for abdominal fat pad weight that decreased in broilers supplemented with antibiotic. None of the treatments significantly affected humoral immune function. Dietary treatments failed to induce any significant effect on serum biochemistry (p>0.05); though broilers receiving 100 mg/kg propolis had greater high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and lower triglyceride concentrations compared with other groups. Conclusion: In conclusion, the results indicated that addition of ethanolic extract of propolis to routine dietary components of broilers, such as corn and soybean, seems not to have a positive influence on performance criteria.

Aim: The risk of bacteria resistance to specific antibiotics possibly by continuous subtherapeutical administration of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in poultry feed led to a ban on the use of AGP in poultry production. As a result of this ban, alternative substances for poultry growth promotion and disease prevention are being investigated, among which phytogenic and herbal products have received increased attention as natural additives because they have been accepted by consumers as natural additives. The effect of water supplementation of Aloe vera (AV) as an AGP substitute on performance, intestinal microflora, and immune responses of broilers. Materials and Methods: The five experimental treatments were allocated to four replicates. The following treatments were applied (1) a basal broiler diet (C) and normal drinking water, (2) 0.5% AV gel in drinking water, (3) 0.75% AV gel in drinking water, (4) 1% AV gel in drinking water, and (5) diet C supplemented with flavophospholipol at 4.5 mg/kg and drinking normal water. Vaccines against influenza disease and sheep red blood cell (SRBC) were administrated to immunological stimuli. The populations of Lactobacilli spp. and coliforms were enumerated in ileum. Results: Body weight of broilers supplemented with different levels of AV increased compared with control group (p

Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritoinitis is one of the life threatening complications of Cirrhosis of liver. Mortality and morbidity are high because of sepsis, hepatorenal syndrome and liver failure. Internati-l societies recommend the use of 3rd generation Cephalosporin as first line and quinolones and Amox-clav as second line of therapy. Development of resistance among microbials against these antibiotics has been reported during last several years. The purpose of this research is to determine the frequency of micro-organism cultivated in ascitic fluid and pattern of their resistance to antimicrobials at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: Ascitic fluid samples were received from both in-patients and out-patients in sterile leak proof containers. All micro-organisms isolated from ascitic fluid samples were included in the study. Ascitic fluid samples were inoculated on sheep blood agar, chocolate agar, MacConkey agar, according to standard microbiological protocol. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on MHA medium (Oxoid Ltd, England) using modified Kirby Bauer’s disk diffusion method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Results: Out of 356 ascitic fluid samples, 54(15.1%) of samples were culture positive. Esherichia coli (38.9%) was the most prevalent pathogen isolated, followed by Staphylococcus aureus(11.1%) and Acinetobacter species(7.4%). Frequency of strains resistant with Cefotaxime (100%), Ciprofloxacin (68.4%) and Amox-clav (57.1%) were remarkably high. Esherichia coli was mostly responsive with Amikacin, Meropenum, Cefoperazone/Sulbatum and Piperacillin/Tazobactum. Conclusion: Gram -ve bacteria has been remained main prevalent infectious organisms causing Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis. A high resistance pattern with Cephalosporins and Quinolones is frightening as these drugs have been considered as first line therapy in the management of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis. Resistance profile is better with Amikacin, Meropenem, Cefoperazone/sulbactum and Piperacillin/Tazobactum.

The effect of 1α-OH-D3 in calcium-phosphorus (Ca-P) deficient diets on Japanese quail growth performance and tibia parameters was investigated. Eight-day-old (n = 160) newly hatched quails were weighed and randomly allocated to 20 groups, each with 4 replicate pens of 8 birds. Treatments were as follows: T1, Ca-P-adequate; T2,Ca-P-deficient; T3, Ca-P-deficient + 500 FTU kg-1 of phytase (Ph); T4, Ca-P-deficient diet + 5 µg kg-1 of 1α-OH-D3; T5,Ca-P-deficient + Ph + 5 µg kg-1 of 1α-OH-D3. Results showed that quails fed Ca-P-adequate had significantly higher body weight compared with quails fed Ca-P-deficient, Ca-P deficient supplemented with 1α-OH-D3 and Ca-P-deficient supplemented with 1α-OH-D3 and phytase, but did not differ from Ca-P-deficient diet supplemented with phytase. Quails fed Ca-P deficient were unable to achieve FCR comparable to quails fed Ca-P-adequate (p < 0.05). The percentage of bone ash data indicated that quails fed Ca-P-adequate had higher tibia ash compared with other groups except for quails fed Ca-P deficient diet supplemented with combination of 1α-OH-D3 and phytase. Quails fed Ca-P-adequate had higher tibia P compared with quails fed Ca-P-deficient. In conclusion, these results indicated that quails fed Ca-P-deficient supplemented with 5 µg kg-1 of 1α-OH-D3 in combination of 500 FTU kg-1 of phytase were able to achieve the same tibia ash and Ca compared with quails fed Ca-P-adequate.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of milk or molasses kefir as a probiotic on growth performance, carcass traits, serum biochemistry and humoral immune responses in broiler chickens. A total of 192 one-d-old as hatched broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allotted to 4 treatments, each with 4 replicate pens of 12 chicks. The following treatments were applied: 1) a basal diet (C) and normal drinking water, 2) 2% milk kefir in drinking water, 3) 2% molasses kefir in drinking water, and 4) the diet C supplemented with commercial probiotic. At d 42, eight birds per treatment were killed for determination of carcass traits. Broilers at 28 days of age were bled for measuring antibody titers against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and avian influenza virus (AIV), at 30 days of age for antibody titers against sheep red blood cell (SRBC), and at 42 days of age for biochemical analysis. Supplementing 2% milk kefir increased body weight of broilers at 28 and 42 days of age (P 0.05) influenced. Broilers supplemented with molasses kefir, had a significantly lower concentration of serum total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and elevated high density lipoprotein cholesterol at 42 days of age (P

Abstract Bovine papillomavirus type 1 infects not only cattle but also equids and is a causative factor in the pathogenesis of commonly occurring equine sarcoid tumours. Whilst treatment of sarcoids is notoriously difficult, cisplatin has been shown to be one of the most effective treatment strategies for sarcoids. In this study we show that in equine fibroblasts, BPV-1 sensitises cells to cisplatin-induced and UVB-induced apoptosis, a known cofactor for papillomavirus associated disease, however BPV-1 transformed fibroblasts show increased clonogenic survival, which may potentially limit the therapeutic effects of repeated cisplatin treatment. Furthermore we show that BPV-1 increases p53 expression in sarcoid cell lines and p53 expression can be either nuclear or cytoplasmic. The mechanism and clinical significance of increase/abnormal p53 expression remains to be established.

Abstract Papillomaviruses (PVs) are established agents of human and animal cancers. They infect cutaneous and mucous epithelia. High Risk (HR) Human PVs (HPVs) are consistently associated with cancer of the uterine cervix, but are also involved in the etiopathogenesis of other cancer types. The early oncoproteins of PVs: E5, E6 and E7 are known to contribute to tumour progression. While the oncogenic activities of E6 and E7 are well characterised, the role of E5 is still rather nebulous. The widespread causal association of PVs with cancer makes their study worthwhile not only in humans but also in animal model systems. The Bovine PV (BPV) system has been the most useful animal model in understanding the oncogenic potential of PVs due to the pivotal role of its E5 oncoprotein in cell transformation. This review will highlight the differences between HPV-16 E5 (16E5) and E5 from other PVs, primarily from BPV. It will discuss the targeting of E5 as a possible therapeutic agent.

Reasons for performing the study Equine sarcoids are locally aggressive fibroblastic cutaneous tumours, representing the third most common health problem in working horses. In developed countries they also have welfare and economic impact (e.g. prepurchase examination). No current treatment offers 100% success rate. It is now well established that Bovine Papillomavirus ( BPV) types 1 and 2 play an important role in the pathogenesis of sarcoid tumours. In a number of human cancers, aberrant expression of micro RNAs has been linked to the cancerous phenotype. micro RNAs are small noncoding RNAs that regulate essential biological and cellular processes. Currently there is much interest in their role as biomarkers and potential therapeutic agents for many diseases. Objectives In an attempt to improve our understanding of the pathobiology of sarcoids, we aim to identify specific micro RNAs associated with equine sarcoids. Study design Differential expression of micro RNAs was assessed in control equine fibroblasts ( Eq Palfs) and Eq Palfs transformed with the BPV-1 genome ( S6-2s). Methods Using a commercially available human microarray, 453 micro RNAs were interrogated in RNA samples from both cell lines. Each cell line was analysed in triplicate. Results 219 individual micro RNAs were differentially expressed in control ( Eq PalFs) versus BPV-transformed cells ( S6-2s) (P<0.05). of these, 148 micro RNAs (68%) were underexpressed in S6-2 cells relative to Eq Palfs. Conclusions We have shown that BPV-1 transformed equine cell lines exhibit a different micro RNA profile to control equine fibroblasts and the aberrant expression of micro RNAs in S6-2 cells can be attributed to the presence of BPV-1 genomes. Our future work will focus on studying the expression profiles of a subset of micro RNAs in a larger panel of cell lines and sarcoid tumours to help elucidate the significance of the deregulated expression. Ethical animal research: Local ethical approval was granted to conduct this study. Sources of funding: This work is funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board with contribution from the Vet Trust Fund ( James Herriot Scholarship). Competing interests: None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It is now widely recognized that BPV-1 and less commonly BPV-2 are the causative agents of equine sarcoids. Here we present the generation of equine cell lines harboring BPV-1 genomes and expressing viral genes. These lines have been either explanted from sarcoid biopsies or generated in vitro by transfection of primary fibroblasts with BPV-1 DNA. Previously detected BPV-1 genome variations in equine sarcoids are also found in sarcoid cell lines, and only variant BPV-1 genomes can transform equine cells. These equine cell lines are morphologically transformed, proliferate faster than parental cells, have an extended life span and can grow independently of substrate. These characteristics are more marked the higher the level of viral E5, E6 and E7 gene expression. These findings confirm that the virus has an active role in the induction of sarcoids and the lines will be invaluable for further studies on the role of BPV-1 in sarcoid pathology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Telomerase biology is complicated by studies that show that telomere expression and telomere biology differs between species, and that existing animal models do not closely resemble the human situation. We have previously reported a description of telomere/telomerase biology in the dog and have suggested this as an alternative model system. To further elucidate telomerase biology in this species we have cloned and characterised the canine reverse transcriptase (dogTERT) promoter. We demonstrate that core promoter activity is contained within a region extending approximately 300 bp upstream of the ATG codon. Transient transfections in telomerase-positive canine cell lines and telomerase negative fibroblasts showed that the promoter is only active in telomerase positive cell lines. Sequence analysis demonstrated that the 5′ regulatory region is GC-rich and contains no TATA or CAAT box, similar to the human TERT promoter. Motif searches revealed the presence of multiple transcription factor binding sites common to both the human and canine TERT promoters, including a single E-box, Sp1, AP1, MZF-2 and ER/Sp1 binding sites. These findings suggest that the dogTERT gene shares similar transcriptional control to hTERT. Identification of the core promoter necessary for activity may allow the use of naturally occurring cancers in dogs as a preclinical testing ground for telomerase targeted therapies in human cancer patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The equine sarcoid, one of the most common dermatological lesions in equids, is a benign, locally invasive dermal fibroblastic lesion. Previous studies have suggested an association with two bovine papilloma virus (BPV) types, BPV-1 and BPV-2. In the present study, we examined sarcoids from horses from two geographical areas, Switzerland and the UK, for the major transforming gene of BPV, E5. We detected BPV DNA for the E5 open reading frame and viral E5 RNA transcripts in most sarcoids. Sequence analysis of the E5 open reading frame of sarcoid-associated BPV detected several unique DNA sequence variants, three of which resulted in sarcoid specific amino acid sequence variations. It is unclear if these sequence variants contribute to the unique clinical presentation of the sarcoid. However, our work provides further evidence of the association between BPV and sarcoid development and the direct involvement of the virus in the pathogenesis of sarcoids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]