Effects of chick separation and feeding on the performance of hens and chicks

A study was conducted to observe the effect of separating chicks from broody hens after hatching, and supplementary feeding, on the performance of broody hens and chicks. Eighteen broody hens incubated 360 eggs of native hens. Broody hens and chicks were divided into three treatment groups; in T1, chicks were not separated, and chicks scavenged with mothers; in T2, chicks were separated at five days and fed ad libitum; and in T3, chicks were separated at 10 days and fed ad libitum. Hens in T2 and T3 received 50g feed/hen/day. The interval between end of incubation and first lay was shorter in T2 (36.3 days) and T3 (41.7) than in T1 (55.2). Clutch length was shortest in T1 (12.7 days), medium in T3 (15.0) and longest in T2 (17.0). There were more eggs/clutch in T2 (14.7) and T3 (14.3) than in T1 (11.5). There were no differences in broody hen's body weight between treatment groups. Mortality of chicks was highest in T2 (39.6%), medium in T3 (33.9), and lowest in T1 (21.0). Body weight of chicks was highest in T2, medium in T3 and lowest in T1, except at 1st week of age. It is suggested that separation of chicks and supplementary feeding was beneficial in terms of interval between end of incubation and first lay, clutch length, number of eggs per clutch and body weight of chicks. DOI: 10.3329/bvet.v26i1.4626 Bangl. vet. 2009. Vol. 26, No. 1, 13-16</jats:p

Factors influencing the outcome of paediatric cardiac surgical patients during extracorporeal circulatory support

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a common modality of circulatory assist device used in children. We assessed the outcome of children who had ECMO following repair of congenital cardiac defects (CCD) and identified the risk factors associated with hospital mortality.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From April 1990 to December 2003, 53 patients required ECMO following surgical correction of CCD. Retrospectively collected data was analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median age and weight of the patients were 150 days and 5.4 kgs respectively. The indications for ECMO were low cardiac output in 16, failure to wean cardiopulmonary bypass in 13, cardiac arrest in 10 and cardio-respiratory failure in 14 patients. The mean duration of ECMO was 143 hours. Weaning off from ECMO was successful in 66% and of these 83% were survival to hospital-discharge. 37.7% of patients were alive for the mean follow-up period of 75 months. On univariate analysis, arrhythmias, ECMO duration >168 hours, bleeding complications, renal replacement therapy on ECMO, arrhythmias and cardiac arrest after ECMO were associated with hospital mortality.</p> <p>On multivariate analysis, abnormal neurology, bleeding complications and arrhythmias after ECMO were associated with hospital mortality. Extra and intra-thoracic cannulations were used in 79% and 21% of patients respectively and extra-thoracic cannulation had significantly less bleeding complications (p = 0.031).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ECMO provides an effective circulatory support following surgical repair of CCD in children. Extra-thoracic cannulation is associated with less bleeding complications. Abnormal neurology, bleeding complications on ECMO and arrhythmias after ECMO are poor prognostic indicators for hospital survival.</p

Carthamus, Salvia and Stachys species protect neuronal cells against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis.

Abstract Context: Finding effective therapies for neurodegenerative diseases is of utmost importance for the aging population. Plants growing in Iran are rich sources of antioxidants and active phytochemicals.The protective capacity of plants, with a special focus on those with reported antioxidant or neuroprotective potential or nervous system-related applications in folk medicine, was tested against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis.Aerial parts of 20 plants including Carthamus, Salvia, and Stachys species were extracted with 80\% methanol and dichloromethane and preincubated with neuronal PC12 cells for 3 h. Oxidative stress and apoptosis were induced by hydrogen peroxide (75 µM, 1 h exposure). Cell viability and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by MTT and 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein-diacetate (DCFH-DA) assays, respectively, while apoptosis was determined by annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining by a flow cytometer.Eighty percent methanol extracts of Carthamus oxyacantha Bieb. (Asteraceae), Salvia santolinifolia Boiss. (Lamiaceae), and Salvia sclarea L. (Lamiaceae) at the concentration of 100 μg/ml showed significant neuroprotection in the MTT assay by 38.7, 34.7, and 39.5\%, respectively, and inhibited intracellular ROS by 48.6, 61.9, and 61.4\%, respectively. The first two extracts also significantly inhibited apoptosis. Dichloromethane extracts of C. oxyacantha and Stachys pilifera Benth. (Lamiaceae) at the concentration of 25 μg/ml showed neuroprotection by 27.5 and 26.5\%, respectively, and inhibited ROS by 44.5 and 39.4\%, respectively.The above-mentioned plants seem to have important biological activities and their further study may lead to the discovery of new natural therapeutics useful against disorders such as Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases