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- Fifty-nine men with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection have been studied. Epididymitis was the most common presentation (26) compared with urethritis (8) and prostatitis (9). Only 13 patients gave a history of a urethral discharge. Fifteen of 21 female consorts screened were CT positive and 13 of these were asymptomatic. This demonstrates the major aetiological role of CT in lower genitourinary infection and indicates the importance of screening and treating consorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The chemical composition of dried papaya (Carica papaya) skin (DPS) was determined and the effect of diets containing different concentrations of this ingredient (0, 30, 60 and 90 g/kg) was studied using growing pullets as experimental animals. 2. Crude protein concentration was determined to be 229 g/kg and metabolisable energy content was estimated to be 6.4 MJ/kg. 3. Use of DPS in the diet up to 90 g/kg did not produce any significant difference in weight gain, food intake, food conversion and protein efficiency when compared with birds that received the control diet. 4. Survivability of growing pullets fed on DPS was 100%, as in the control group. 5. It was concluded that DPS can safely be used up to 90 g/kg in the diet of growing pullets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Laying hens were fed osteolathyrogens, either semicarbazide hydrochloride at 0.3 or 0.4 g/kg or beta-aminopropionitrile fumarate at 0.5 or 0.6 g/kg diet to examine their effects on eggshell quality. 2. Shell quality characteristics considered for evaluation were shell surface area, shell thickness, shell weight, percentage shell, shape index and the specific gravity of eggs. Measurement of shell quality traits revealed that the hens fed osteolathyrogens laid eggs with significantly lower specific gravities and proportion of shell by weight. These differences were not explained by differences in shell thickness or weight or the shape index of eggs. 3. It was concluded that osteolathyrogens cause hens to lay eggs with poor shell quality and such eggs are weak and fragile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case report of generalised sarcoidosis with involvement of the left testis is described. After exploration and biopsy the patient was given steroids; 2 months later the left testis was normal to palpation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY A case of intrarenal foreign body in a 7-year-old girl, treated by removal of the foreign body and upper pole partial nephrectomy, is described. The foreign body probably reached the kidney by retrograde migration having been introduced into the bladder, inadvertently engaging the right ureteric orifice and thereafter ascending the ureter to the kidney. It is postulated that the hairgrip was forced up the right ureter to the kidney during peristaltic contractions, the projecting ends of the hairgrip preventing downward movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential for dietary tamarind to alter serum and egg yolk cholesterol concentrations and overall performance in different layer strains. Thirty, 43-wk-old, Hisex Brown, ISA Brown, Lohmann Brown, Starcross Brown, Babcock B-300, and Starcross-579 strains (5 hens per strain) were fed diets supplemented with 0 (control), 2, 4, 6, or 8% oven-dried tamarind for 6 wk. Egg production, egg mass, and efficiency of feed utilization followed a quadratic response with a maximum when the diet contained 2% tamarind and a minimum when 8% tamarind was fed (P < 0.05). There were no differences (P > 0.05) among strains for egg production, egg weight, yolk weight, egg mass, feed consumption, or feed efficiency. Yolk weight increased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of dietary tamarind in wk 1, 2, and 3 as well as when averaged over 6 wk. Egg yolk cholesterol concentrations were not affected by dietary tamarind. Serum cholesterol concentrations, however, decreased quadratically with increasing levels of dietary tamarind (P < 0.05). It was concluded that 2% supplemental dietary tamarind could decrease serum cholesterol concentrations and increase layer performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple genetic risk factors for Crohn's disease (CD) have been identified. However, these observations are not consistent across different populations. The protein tyrosine phosphate non-receptor type 2 ( PTPN2 ) gene plays a role in various aspects of host defense including epithelial barrier function, autophagy, and innate and adaptive immune response. Two common polymorphisms in the PTPN2 gene (rs2542151 and rs7234029) have been associated with risk of CD in Western countries., Aim: To evaluate the association of PTPN2 gene polymorphisms with risk of CD in Indian population., Methods: We conducted a prospective case-control study. Patients with CD were recruited, and their clinical and investigation details were noted. Controls were patients without organic gastrointestinal disease or other comorbid illnesses. Two common polymorphisms in the PTPN2 gene (rs2542151 and rs7234029) were assessed. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of cases and controls and target DNA was amplified using specific sets of primers. The amplified fragments were digested with restriction enzymes and the presence of polymorphism was detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism. The frequency of alleles was determined. The frequencies of genotypes and alleles were compared between cases and controls to look for significant differences., Results: A total of 108 patients with CD (mean age 37.5 ± 12.7 years, females 42.6%) and 100 controls (mean age 39.9 ± 13.5 years, females 37%) were recruited. For the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs7234029, the overall frequency of G variant genotype (AG or GG) was noted to be significantly lower in the cases compared to controls (35.2% vs 50%, P = 0.05). For the SNP rs2542151, the overall frequency of G variant genotype (GT or GG) was noted to be similar in cases compared to controls (43.6% vs 47%, P = 0.73). There were no significant differences in minor allele (G) frequency for both polymorphisms between the cases and controls. Both the SNPs had no significant association with age of onset of illness, gender, disease location, disease behaviour, perianal disease, or extraintestinal manifestations of CD., Conclusion: Unlike observation form the West, polymorphisms in the PTPN2 gene (rs7234029 and rs2542151) are not associated with an increased risk of developing CD in Indian patients., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: None of the authors have any conflict of interest to declare., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

The chemical composition of dried papaya (Carica papaya) skin (DPS) was determined and its potential as a dietary ingredient for broiler chickens was investigated at dietary concentrations of 0, 40, 80 and 120g/kg. DPS was found to give similar food consumption, food conversion efficiency, survivability and meat yields (except male liver weight) to a control diet when used up to 120 g/kg of diet. Weight gain tended to increase with dietary concentration of DPS up to 80 g/kg. It was concluded that DPS could safely be used up to 120 g/kg in the diet of broiler chickens.

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential for dietary garlic to influence egg yolk cholesterol concentrations and overall performance in different layer strains. Thirty-six, 28-wk-old, Hisex Brown,Isa Brown, Lohmann, Starcross, Babcock, and Starcross-579 strains (six hens per strain) were fed diets supplemented with 0 (control), 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10% sun-dried garlic paste for 6 wk. There were no differences (P > 0.05) among diets or strains in egg weight, egg mass, feed consumption, feed efficiency, and BW gain as averaged over 6 wk. Yolk weight, however, responded quadratically with increasing levels of dietary garlic and differed among strains (P < 0.05). Egg production and yolk weights were significantly higher in the Babcock strain in comparison with other strains. Serum and egg yolk cholesterol concentrations decreased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of dietary garlic. Serum and egg yolk cholesterol concentrations also differed among different strains (P < 0.05). It was concluded that garlic paste in the diets of laying hens reduced serum and yolk cholesterol concentrations. It was also concluded that dietary garlic paste had no adverse effects on layer performance.

The effects of two lathyrogens (beta-aminopropionitrile and semicarbazide) on the reproductive system of the laying hen were compared by measuring the changes in the ovary and oviduct associated with a diminished egg production rate. The laying hens were fed diets containing either beta-aminopropionitrile, the toxic constituent of certain legume seeds in the genus Lathyrus or semicarbazide to induce lathyrogenic effects in which reduced egg production was one of the toxic effects. The gross examination of the reproductive system of the hens revealed that ovarian activity was greatly impaired. The reduced egg production after feeding beta-aminopropionitrile was due to the reduced growth rate of the ovary, and in the case of semicarbazide, to the atresia of large yolky follicles.

The cause of the increased egg weight in hens with lathyrism was investigated by feeding laying birds with diets containing beta-aminopropionitrile, the toxic principle of certain legume seeds in the genus Lathyrus. There was a significant increase (P less than 0.01) in the amount of albumen in the egg owing to an increased formation of thin white. The water permeability of the shell membranes demonstrated an increased porosity and a loss of tensile strength which contributed not only to a high water uptake but also to abnormalities of the shape of eggs during 'plumping'. It was concluded that a defect in the shell membrane protein system alters the membrane's general properties and that the increased egg weight in lathyrism is a result of the defect.