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This study aimed to assess the in vitro effects of re-irradiation on enamel and dentin properties, simulating head and neck cancer radiotherapy retreatment. Forty-five human permanent molars were classified into five groups: non-irradiated; irradiated 60 Gy, and re-irradiated with doses of 30, 40, and 50 Gy. Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were employed for analysis. Raman spectroscopy assessed intensity, spectral area, and specific peaks comparatively. Statistical analysis involved Kolmogorov-Smirnov and One-Way ANOVA tests, with Tukey's post-test (significance level set at 5%). Significant changes in irradiated, non-irradiated, and re-irradiated enamel peaks were observed, including phosphate (438 nm), hydroxyapatite (582 nm), phosphate (960 nm), and carbonate (1070 nm) (p < 0.05). Re-irradiation affected the entire tooth (p > 0.05), leading to interprismatic region degradation, enamel prism destruction, and hydroxyapatite crystal damage. Dentin exhibited tubule obliteration, crack formation, and progressive collagen fiber fragmentation. EDX revealed increased oxygen percentage and decreased phosphorus and calcium post-reirradiation. It is concluded that chemical and morphological changes in irradiated permanent teeth were dose-dependent, exacerbated by re-irradiation, causing substantial damage in enamel and dentin., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has become a significant health crisis, marked by high mortality rates on a global scale, with mortality from the disease being notably concentrated among the elderly due to various factors., Objective: This study aims to investigate the biological and non-biological factors associated with COVID-19 mortality rates among the elderly worldwide., Methods: The following databases will be consulted: PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science and ScienceDirect. Longitudinal observational studies (cohort and case-control-risk factors) will be included. The risk of bias, defined as low, moderate, high, will be assessed using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Quality Assessment Tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies. Two independent authors will conduct the searches, and any possible disagreements will be resolved by a third author. Heterogeneity between study results will be assessed using a standard X2 test with a significance level of 0.05, and an I2 value will be calculated to further assess heterogeneity. The random effects model for meta-analyses will be adopted to distribute the weight between the studies and standardize their contributions. The meta-analyses will be conducted using RevMan software., Discussion: Despite the numerous publications on COVID-19 mortality among the elderly, there is still a gap in knowledge, as there is no systematic review and meta-analysis that summarizes the main biological and non-biological associated factors globally., Conclusion: The results of this study will consolidate the latest evidence and address gaps in the overall understanding of biological or non-biological associated factors. This knowledge will facilitate the development of appropriate health strategies for this demographic group and pave the way for further research., Trial Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42023400873)., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Silva Junior et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The objective of the study is to present a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol for evaluating the effects of health education gamification-based interventions, on health parameters (food consumption, sleep quality and physical activity) of adolescent students. This protocol was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (CRD42022373833). The search will be performed in the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, ERIC, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Cochrane, LILACS, APA, and ADOLEC. Intervention studies (clinical trials - randomized or non-randomized) and quasi-experimental studies will be included. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tool for randomized controlled trials, non- randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental trials. Two independent researchers will conduct all assessments, and any disagreements will be consulted with a third reviewer. Data analysis and synthesis will be analyzed using RevMan 5.4.1 software. We will conduct the study in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guideline. The review will summarize the current evidence on gamification health education changes in parameters related to the health of adolescents. Gamification has been used to verify the increase in adherence to healthy habits or the development of health-related skills, but there are still few results for the adolescent population. We expect that the systematic review could indicate strategies with gamification interventions and also determine how these strategies can improve health parameters of adolescent students, and they will be available as a reference for these interventions., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 dos Santos et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Social cognition (SC) impairments contribute to the dependence of people with Alzheimer disease (AD), influencing their functional disability and the burden on family members and caregivers. Our objective was to longitudinally investigate the relationship between SC and cognitive and clinical variables in persons with AD and their caregivers. We also evaluated the different SC predictors from 3 perspectives: people with AD, caregivers of people with AD, and discrepancy analysis., Methods: In all, 137 dyads (people with AD and their caregivers) underwent 2 assessments: at baseline (M1) and after 1 year (M2). During follow-up, 58 dyads were excluded, and the study was thus concluded with 79., Results: Longitudinal analysis of the people with AD showed that while some cognitive functions declined (which is consistent with disease progression), SC impairments showed a more stable pattern. Another interesting result was related to SC predictors. For people with AD, SC was associated with cognition at both time points. For caregivers, besides cognition, other predictors included reduced functional abilities and quality of life in people with AD. These results are consistent with the discrepancy predictors., Conclusion: The stable pattern in SC functioning over 12 months in AD suggests that this neurocognitive domain may be influenced more by emotional processing than by cognitive impairment. In addition, the SC predictors showed that the investigation of different points of view enables a more global understanding, contributing to better and more targeted treatment for the patient., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Extended reality (XR) is the ensemble of interactive experiences based on a computer-simulated environment that encompasses virtual reality and augmented reality and has been proven to be potentially innovative in the field of health education with adolescents. The objective of this study is to present a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol that seeks to evaluate the main effects of interventions that use XR on health parameters (food intake, sound quality and physical activity) of adolescent students., Methods and Analysis: The literature search will be performed in the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, ERIC, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Cochrane, LILACS, APA and ADOLEC. Intervention studies (clinical trials-randomised or non-randomised) and quasi-experimental studies will be included. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tool for randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs and quasi-experimental trials. Two independent researchers will conduct all the assessments, and any disagreements will be consulted with a third reviewer. Data analysis and synthesis will be performed using RevMan V.5.4.1 software. The study will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols guideline., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval and human consent were not required, as this is a protocol for a systematic review and only secondary data will be used. The findings will be published in a journal and presented at conferences. In case of any changes to this protocol, it will be updated in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses website, and the modifications will be explained in the final report of this review., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42022373876., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose: To digitally evaluate the static and dynamic occlusion of patients treated with both removable conventional complete dentures (CCDs) and implant-retained removable overdentures (IODs) and to correlate two different methods of occlusal analysis., Materials and Methods: Eleven totally edentulous patients were treated with bimaxillary CCDs. Later, mandibular CCDs were replaced by IODs retained by either two or four implants. The distribution of the occlusal contacts in static and dynamic occlusion was compared by means of the digital method (DM; T-Scan III) and the analog method (AM; articulating paper). Scores 0, 1, and 2 were assigned for inadequate, satisfactory, and adequate distribution of the occlusal contacts, respectively. The frequencies of scores were compared in relation to the types of denture by means of Fisher exact test (P < .05). The correlation between methods was assessed by means of the kappa agreement coefficient (κ) and the correlation coefficient phi (φ) (P < .05)., Results: Significant differences between CCDs and IODs were found in the right lateral mandibular movement (DM, P = .024; AM, P = .008), as well as in the left lateral mandibular movement (DM, P = .035). The methods of analysis of the occlusion showed a moderate agreement (κ = 0.604; P < .001) and a moderate correlation (φ = 0.605; P < .001)., Conclusion: The digital and analog methods showed a significant agreement and moderate correlation, irrespective of the type of complete denture. The T-Scan III digital system seems to be a consistent and reproducible method to analyze occlusion.

Purpose: To compare the primary and secondary stability of conventional (≥ 8-mm) and extrashort (4-mm) implants in edentulous patients using different methods of assessment., Materials and Methods: Patients underwent implant surgery and were randomly allocated into two groups: test, with two conventional implants in the anterior region and two extrashort (4-mm) implants in the posterior region; and control, with two conventional (≥ 8-mm) implants in the anterior region only. Primary stability (S1-implant placement) was assessed by insertion torque, implant stability quotient (ISQ, Osstell), and damping capacity (PTV, Periotest), while secondary stability (S2 21 -21 days after S1; and S2 clip -at prosthetic loading, ± 3 months after S1) was evaluated by ISQ and PTV. The statistical significance level was set at P < .05., Results: Fifty conventional implants and 24 extrashort implants were placed in 25 patients. The overall survival rate was 97.3%. There was no statistically significant difference between the insertion torque of conventional and extrashort implants (P > .05). PTV values were significantly lower for conventional implants only at S2 clip (P = .041). ISQ values were significantly greater for conventional implants at S1 (P = .004), whereas at S2 21 and S2 clip , no differences were found (P = .413 and P = .490, respectively). Damping capacity showed no significant differences between S1-S2M 21 and S1-S2 clip . ISQ values showed a significant increase of stability between S1-S2 clip , for conventional (P = .022) and extrashort (P = .005) implants, which was different from that observed between S1-S2 21 . There was a moderate negative correlation between the PTV and ISQ variables (r = 0.5) of extrashort implants, and between the PTV and insertion torque (r = -0.3) of conventional implants. For extrashort implants, there was a null correlation between ISQ and torque (r = 0.0). There was a moderately positive correlation between ISQ and torque (r = 0.3) in the conventional implant group., Conclusion: The results suggest that extrashort and conventional implants present similar primary and secondary stability values and may similarly influence restorative protocols.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a product consisting of a combination of xylanase and xylo-oligosaccharide (STBIO) on performance and ileal digestibility of broiler chickens fed energy and amino acid (AA) deficient diets. Day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 8 pens per treatment, with 25 chicks per pen. Treatments based on wheat-corn-soybean meal diets were arranged in a 3 × 2 factorial design: a positive control that met or exceeded nutrient recommendations (PC), a negative control diet with a 50 kcal/kg apparent metabolizable energy (AME) reduction (NC1) and NC1 with a 3% reduction in AA content (NC2), each with or without supplementation of 100 g/t of the STBIO. Body weight gain (BWG), feed intake, feed conversion ratio corrected for mortality (FCR) and the European production efficiency factor (EPEF) were recorded from 0 to 42 d. On d 42, ileal samples were collected to determine dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), ash, protein and energy digestibility. A significant interaction was observed for BWG and feed intake ( P  < 0.001). The energy and AA reduction reduced ( P  < 0.05) BWG when compared to the PC. The effect of STBIO on BWG was greater in NC1 (+451 g/bird) than in NC2 (+314 g/bird) or PC (+176 g/bird) diets ( P  < 0.05), and that in NC2 with STBIO was equal to that in PC without STBIO, and that in NC1 with STBIO was equal to that in PC with STBIO. No interactions were observed on the EPEF or FCR; however, STBIO improved EPEF ( P  < 0.001) and FCR ( P  < 0.001) irrespective of the energy reduction or AA density. The intake of digestible DM, OM, ash and energy for the finisher period was increased with STBIO supplementation ( P  < 0.01). A significant interaction was observed for the intake of digestible protein. NC1 and NC2 reduced the intake of digestible protein; however, when STBIO was supplemented, it was improved in both diets to similar levels to the PC. The stimbiotic supplementation improved performance of broiler chickens fed all diets, particularly those deficient in AME and AA., Competing Interests: Gemma González-Ortiz, Tiago T. dos Santos and Michael R. Bedford work for AB Vista, who supplied the xylanase and fermentable oligosaccharide (Signis) used in this trial., (© 2021 Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd.)

Background: Empirical data on the consequences of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on HIV care are lacking. We surveyed people living with HIV (PLWH) in different countries to investigate whether their medical follow-up and psychosocial well-being had been compromised due to COVID-19 and associated restrictions., Methods: In April 2020, a cross-sectional survey among PLWH was conducted using a web-based multilingual questionnaire. The research tool assessed HIV follow-up, psychosocial well-being, COVID-19 (flu-like) symptoms and prevention measures. Consenting respondents provided answers anonymously., Results: Three hundred seventeen PLWH were included (mean age 43.4 ± 11.7; 71.6% men); 60.3% of participants resided in Belgium and Brazil. One hundred forty (44.2%) reported experiencing a cold with at least one flu-like symptom since January 2020. Of the 18 who reported COVID-19 test results, 4 (22.2%) were positive. Seventy-four (23.3%) respondents screened positive for major depressive disorders, whereas 72 (22.7%) had generalized anxiety disorders. Fifty-six (17.7%) respondents reported difficulties in obtaining antiretroviral medications because of COVID-19-related measures. Adaptations of HIV care during the COVID-19 outbreak included greater quantities of antiretroviral refill in 67 (21.1%), phone consultations in 25 (7.9%), and new refill sites in 12 (3.9%). Factors associated with a reduced risk of experiencing flu-like symptoms included flu vaccination during the past 12 months (P = 0.005) and adaptations of HIV care during the COVID-19 pandemic (P = 0.010)., Conclusion: COVID-19 and associated restrictive measures seem detrimental to the well-being and follow-up of PLWH. We recommend that health systems devise innovative approaches for antiretroviral provision and psychosocial support to PLWH during such outbreaks.

Purpose: Radiation-related caries is characterized by enamel delamination near the dentinoenamel junction (DEJ). We investigated the activity and expression of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) -2 and -9 in order to understand disease pathogenesis in teeth submitted or not to radiotherapy (RT).
Methods: In situ zymography and immunofluorescence assays were performed to evaluate the activity and expression of MMPs -2 and -9, respectively. Twelve primary second molars were randomly assigned into two experimental subgroups: irradiated and nonirradiated. Dental fragments were exposed to radiation at a dose fraction of two Gy for five consecutive days until reaching the total dose of 60 Gy. The percentage of fluorescence in the DEJ was evaluated in three distinct regions of the tooth (cervical, cusp, and pit). The regions were photographed under fluorescence microscopy at 1.25× and 5× magnification.
Results: The intensity of fluorescence per mm 2 in the DEJ was higher in the cervical region of irradiated primary teeth ( P <0.05) versus nonirradiated ones. In these areas, immunofluorescence revealed expression of MMPs -2 and -9.
Conclusion: Radiotherapy can increase the activity of MMPs -2 and -9 in the cervical region of the DEJ of primary teeth.

Introduction : Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to an individual's ability to attribute mental states to others. It is well established that the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia can undermine ToM. However, there is no consensus on how Alzheimer's disease affects ToM. The following report represents a systematic literature review of ToM in Alzheimer's disease over the past ten years. Method : We performed a survey using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) criteria. The literature search was performed using the electronic databases MEDLINE (Pubmed) and Science Citation Index (ISI). The following descriptors were used in the review process: theory of mind or mentalizing and Alzheimer disease or Alzheimer's disease or Alzheimer type dementia . This systematic review was recorded in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under the number CDR42018115152. Results : We identified 117 articles, 24 of which met our criteria. The most common assessment measure used in the evaluation of the ToM was the first and second order false belief task. Many studies reported that individuals with Alzheimer's disease were impaired on more complex tasks, such as second-order false belief tasks, but had intact performance on simpler tasks, such as first order false beliefs and affective ToM. In contrast, some studies reported that ToM deficits may also appears in simpler and affective tasks. Conclusions : The variability in methodologies, the design and complexity of the tasks applied, the heterogeneity in terms of dementia stage/severity, and the level of cognitive impairment contribute to the variability and inconsistency of the results. Future research should investigate the ToM using more ecological and standardized methods.

A 2 × 2 factorial experiment was used to evaluate the effect of xylanase and sodium butyrate supplementation on performance, intestinal fermentation, histology, and morphometry in broiler chickens. A total of 384 Ross 308 broiler chicks (1-day-old) were allocated to 4 experimental treatments: CTR (control diet), XYL (CTR diet with 16,000 BXU/kg of xylanase), BUT (CTR diet with 1 kg/t sodium butyrate), and XYL+BUT (CTR diet plus xylanase and sodium butyrate). Each treatment had 8 replicates of 12 animals. Starter and grower diets, based on wheat and soybean meal, and water were available ad libitum. Body weight gain and feed intake were measured from 0 to 42 D, and feed conversion ratio corrected for mortality (FCR) was calculated. The profile of short-chain fatty acids in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and ceca digesta on days 21 and 42 was analyzed in addition to the relative weights of the different portions of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), and villus to crypt (VH: CD) ratio from the ileal tissue on day 42 were also evaluated. Statistical comparisons were performed using a 2-way ANOVA. Xylanase supplementation improved 42-D FCR by 5 points (P = 0.006), while butyrate did not affect 42-D FCR. On day 21, birds fed butyrate had heavier total GIT (P = 0.024), duodenum (P < 0.001), and jejunum (P = 0.025). Xylanase did not influence the relative weights in any intestinal section except the crop which was smaller in xylanase supplemented birds. At day 42, the VH: CD ratio was increased with sodium butyrate (P = 0.005). Supplementation of broiler diets with xylanase improved performance but had little effect on intestinal measures, whereas sodium butyrate influenced many of the intestinal indices with no consequence on animal performance., (© Crown copyright 2019.)

Introduction : It is well established that behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia can impair social and emotional function. However, there is no consensus regarding how Alzheimer's disease can affect facial expression recognition. We aim to systematically review all the literature addressing this issue over the last 10 years. Method : We conducted a search based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The search for literature was undertaken on 19 September 2017, using Pubmed, SciELO, BIREME, and Thomson Reuters Web of Science electronic databases. The key terms for the search were: Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and facial expression recognition. Results : We screened 173 articles, and 22 of them were selected. The most common methodology involved showing participants photographs of people expressing the six basic emotions-fear, anger, sadness, disgust, surprise, and happiness. Results were ambiguous. Among people with mild Alzheimer's disease, happiness was easier to recognize than the other five basic emotions, with sadness and anger the most difficult to recognize. In addition, the intensity level of the emotions presented seems to be important, and facial expression recognition is related to specific cognitive capacities, including executive function and visuoperceptual abilities. Impairment in facial expression recognition does not appear to be a consistent neuropsychological finding in Alzheimer's disease. Conclusions : The lack of standardized assessment instruments and the heterogeneity of the methods and samples used across studies hamper comparisons. Future researches should investigate facial expression recognition through more ecological and standardized methods.

Aims: The purpose of this study is to identify species from genus Diaporthe associated with a medicinal plant Costus spiralis by ITS, EF 1-α, TUB and CAL gens., Methods and Results: The 30 isolates from the genus Diaporthe associated with the medicinal plant Costus spiralis were characterized based on morphological characters and the microculture technique and grouped by DNA fingerprinting with the ISSP gene. Afterwards, a total of 12 isolates were selected for the identification of the species based on the comparative research on the blast through the sequences of the ITS gene. Phylogenetic Tree of Maximum Likelihood were generated with the ITS gene individually and with the genes ITS, TUB, CAL and EF1-α combined with the Diaporthe species recognized and with the additional sequences obtained from GenBank for these species., Conclusions: It was not possible to characterize the 30 isolates microscopically and macromorphologically through the microculture technique and the macromorphological characteristics. The 12 isolates selected based on the DNA fingerprinting profile identified phylogenetically, revealed five distinct species of Diaporthe which are present in C. spiralis., Significance and Impact of the Study: The molecular analyses used in this study are excellent alternatives for species-level identification of Diaporthe associated with medicinal plants., (© 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

The interaction of xylanase, protease and superdosing (1,500 FTU/kg) phytase in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was studied in broilers fed sorghum-based diets. A total of 2,800 one-day-old unsexed Ross 308 chicks were housed in 56 pens with 50 birds per pen, with or without inclusion of xylanase, protease and phytase, totaling 8 treatments and 7 replicates per treatment. Body weight (BW) and feed intake (FI) were measured at 21 and 42 days of age, and mortality corrected feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated for each period and cumulatively. Tibia ash and carcass yield were determined in 2 birds per replicate at 21 and 42 days of age, respectively. Digesta transit time was determined at 21, 28, 35 and 42 days of age using 5 birds per replicate. Results showed that superdosing phytase increased BW and FI at 42 days of age ( P  < 0.05) and xylanase improved FCR ( P  < 0.05). Xylanase and phytase also positively influenced carcass yield and breast weight, respectively. Overall, inclusion of superdosing phytase increased transit time when included in a diet containing xylanase, and no change with protease inclusion. In conclusion, the beneficial effects of xylanase, protease and superdosing phytase in broiler performance were not additive. This limitation is likely not related to the lack of efficacy of any one of the individual enzymes but to a limitation of the bird to respond additively to successive additions of enzymes.

Aims: The goals of the present study were to identify, to analyse the phylogenetic relations and to evaluate the genetic variability in Diaporthe endophytic isolates from common bean., Methods and Results: Diaporthe sp., D. infecunda and D. phaseolorum strains were identified using multilocus phylogeny (rDNA ITS region; EF1-α, β-tubulin, and calmodulin genes). IRAP (Inter-Retrotransposon Amplified Polymorphism) and REMAP (Retrotransposon-Microsatellite Amplified Polymorphism) molecular markers reveal the existence of high genetic variability, especially among D. infecunda isolates., Conclusions: It was concluded that the multilocus phylogenetic approach was more effective than individual analysis of ITS sequences, in identifying the isolates to species level, and that IRAP and REMAP markers can be used for studying the genetic variability in the genus Diaporthe particularly at the intraspecific level., Significance and Impact of the Study: The combined use of molecular tools such as multilocus phylogenetic approach and molecular markers, as performed in this study, is the best way to distinguish endophytic strains of Diaporthe isolated from common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)., (© 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

Phytate is not only an unavailable source of phosphorus (P) for broilers but it also acts as an anti-nutrient, reducing protein and mineral absorption, increasing endogenous losses and reducing broiler performance. The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-nutritional effects of phytate by including high levels of phytase in diets not severely limited in available P. A total of 768 male Arbor Acres broilers were distributed in six treatments of eight replicate pens of 16 birds each consisting of a positive control diet (PC), positive control with 500 FTU/kg phytase, negative control (NC) diet with lower available P and calcium (Ca) levels and the same NC diet with 500, 1,000 or 1,500 FTU/kg phytase. Body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and mortality were determined at 21 and 35 d of age while foot ash was determined in four birds per pen at 21 d of age. FI, FCR and foot ash where not affected by the lower mineral diets at 21 d of age nor by the enzyme inclusion but broilers fed lower Ca and available P diets had lower BWG. At 35 d of age no difference was observed between broilers fed the positive or NC diets but broilers fed 500, 1,000 and 1,500 FTU/kg on top of the NC diet had better FCR than broilers fed the positive control diet. When compared to birds fed a diet adequate in P, birds fed the same diet included with 500, 1,000 and 1,500 FTU/kg of phytase in marginally deficient available P and Ca diets had an improvement of performance. These results support the concept that hydrolysing phytate and reducing the anti-nutritional effects of phytate improves bird performance on marginally deficient diets that were not covering the P requirement of birds.