Effect of different litter materials on growth performance, the gait score and footpad dermatitis, carcass parameters, meat quality, and microbial load of litter in broiler chickens

In the current study, the microbial load of litter materials, growth performance, the gait score and footpad dermatitis, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of broilers reared on different litter materials were investigated. After hatching and sex determination, the chicks were allocated to 3 different experimental groups with each having 8 replications. The chicks were reared on thick sawdust, fine sawdust, or rice hull litter materials. A total of 480 chicks were used with each replicate having 20 chicks (10 males, 10 females) of similar body weight. At the end of the experiment, a total of 96 chickens were slaughtered, 32 from each group with equal number of males and females. The effect of the experimental groups on body weight, mortality, and carcass characteristics were not significant; however, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by the treatments in all weeks except the first 2 wk of the experiment. Different litter materials significantly (P < 0.05) influenced the foot health of the chickens as well as the microbial load of the litter. There was no significant difference between the treatment groups in terms of pH, color, and cutting resistance of raw meat however, the water loss during the cooking of the meat and the TPA analysis results such as hardness, springiness, and chewiness of the cooked meats were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by the type of litter material. It was concluded that the use of fine sawdust from trees such as pine and larch containing antimicrobial extracts would be more appropriate as a litter material in broiler production.

Intralesional treatments for hypertrophic scars: comparison among corticosteroid, 5-fluorouracil and botulinum toxin in rabbit ear hypertrophic scar model

OBJECTIVE

Different treatment modalities have been used either alone, or in combination to achieve an optimum improvement for hypertrophic scars. Intralesional injections of corticosteroids and 5-fluorouracil are among the most commonly used treatments. Recently, botulinum toxin is proposed as a new treatment option. In this study, it is aimed to compare the efficacies of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide, 5-fluorouracil and botulinum toxin-A for hypertrophic scars. In order to minimize the variables affecting scar formation, standardized wounds in rabbit ear hypertrophic scar model was used.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four surgical wounds were created on both ears of eight rabbits. Injections to be compared (triamcinolone acetonide, 5-fluorouracil, botulinum toxin-A and control) are administered intralesionally to established scars on day 30. Scars were harvested on day 60 for morphometric analysis including hypertrophic index, fibroblast density, and relative collagen density.

RESULTS

Triamcinolone acetonide and 5-fluorouracil injections decreased hypertrophic indexes significantly compared to botulinum toxin-A and control group. However, only 5-fluorouracil was effective to reduce fibroblast counts significantly. No statistically significant differences were found between the treatment groups in terms of collagen index.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the results of our study, triamcinolone acetonide and 5-fluorouracil are comparatively effective as monotherapy, but botulinum toxin-A was not effective on established hypertrophic scars.

Indium-chlorine and gallium-chlorine tetrasubstituted phthalocyanines in a bulk system, Langmuir monolayers and Langmuir-Blodgett nanolayers--spectroscopic investigations

The paper deals with spectroscopic characterization of metallic phthalocyanines (Pc's) (indium and gallium) complexed with chlorine and substituted with four benzyloxyphenoxy peripheral groups in bulk systems, 2D Langmuir monolayers and Langmuir-Blodgett nanolayers. An influence of the molecular structure of dyes (the presence of metal and of substitutes attached to the phthalocyanine macroring) on the in situ measurements of light absorption is reported. Molecular arrangement of the phthalocyanine molecular skeleton in the Langmuir monolayers on water substrate and in the Langmuir-Blodgett nanolayers is evaluated. A comparison of the light absorption spectra of the phthalocyanine monolayers with the spectra of the dyes in solution supports the existence of dye aggregates in the monolayer. It was shown that the type of dye aggregates (oblique and H types) depends markedly on the dye molecular structures. The NIR-IR, IR reflection-absorption and Raman spectra are also monitored for Langmuir-Blodgett nanolayers in non-polarized and polarized light. It was shown that the dye molecules in the Langmuir-Blodgett layers are oriented nearly vertically with respect to a gold substrate.

Minimally invasive stabilization of vertebral compression fractures using balloon kyphoplasty

AIM

Spinal trauma is a leading cause of destabilization of the vertebral column. Balloon kyphoplasty is one among several surgical treatment methods for restoring spinal stability. This series included 25 patients (10 [40%] males and 15 [60%] females) over the age of 50 years who had undergone balloon kyphoplasty for traumatic compression fracture and were retrospectively evaluated to determine the success of this technique in terms of restoration of spinal stabilization.

METHODS

Preoperative and postoperative direct radiographic images were obtained in all cases. Vertebral body height in the anterior, middle and posterior coronal planes were estimated from the radiographs.

RESULTS

The mean anterior vertebral body height in the coronal plane was 16.39±5.64 mm before and 23.17±5.93 mm after surgery. Compared with preoperative measurements, the restoration ratio was 43% in the anterior coronal plane, 35% in the mid-coronal plane, and 43% in the posterior coronal plane.

CONCLUSION

The study results suggest that balloon kyphoplasty may be used in the surgical treatment of vertebral compression fractures in selected cases.

Energy transfer in zinc porphyrin-phthalocyanine heterotrimer and heterononamer studied by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)

Two or eight zinc triphenyl porphyrins were conjugated with Zn-phthalocyanine or H2-phthalocyanine to form ZnPc-(ZnTPP)2, ZnPc-(ZnTPP)8, H2Pc-(ZnTPP)2 and H2Pc-(ZnTPP)8. Energy transfers from the porphyrin moiety to phthalocyanine part were quantitatively studied with the modality of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). By measuring the fluorescence increment from the phthalocyanine moiety and the decrease from porphyrin part under selective excitation at the B band of the porphyrin part in those conjugated compounds and their equimolar mixture of compositions, energy transfer efficiencies were estimated to be 90% for H2Pc-(ZnTPP)8 and ZnPc-(ZnTPP)8, and 60%, 30% for ZnPc-(ZnTPP)2 and H2Pc-(ZnTPP)2, respectively.

Dielectric spectroscopy analysis in employing liquid crystal phthalonitrile derivative in nematic liquid crystals

Dielectric anizotropy and relaxation properties of 2,3-dicyano-1,4-di[3,4,5-tri(dodecyloxy)phenylcarbonyloxy] benzene (DCDPB)-doped E7 and E7 liquid crystal have been investigated by the dielectric spectroscopy method. Dielectric anisotropy property of the LCs changes from the positive type to negative type. Dielectric relaxation properties suggest that LCs exhibit a monodispersive dielectric property. The relaxation frequency of E7 and E7/DCDPB liquid crystals was calculated by means of Cole-Cole plots. Consequently, DCDPB dopant changes the dielectric anizotropy and relaxation parameters of E7 LC.

An Unusual Burn Injury Caused by a Car Battery

In a car battery accident, a 21-year old man sustained a band of deep burn involving the dorsoradial aspect of the wrist. He was treated by excision and grafting on the third day after injury. A metal watchstrap that the patient was wearing, with evidence of the arching phenomenon on it, short-circuited the battery of the vehicle. Although the underlying etiology that triggered the events leading to thermal injury was an electrical accident, the current did not pass through any part of the patient's body, as what happens in an electrical injury. In our current understanding, the pathophysiology of electrical injury dictates the transmission of current through living tissues, leading to a specific type of tissue damage that should be distinguishable from the type that results from a usual thermal injury, as it happened in our case.

Spinal anaesthesia in full-term infants of 0-6 months: are there any differences regarding age?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to report our experience concerning the effectiveness, complications and safety of spinal anaesthesia, and to determine whether spinal anaesthesia was effective in full-term infants undergoing elective inguinal hernia repair.

METHODS

Sixty-eight full-term infants aged < 6 months were included in the study. Infants were divided into three groups; Group I (< 1 month, n = 20), Group II (> 1 and < 3 months, n = 26), and Group III (3-6 months, n = 22). All spinal blocks were performed under mask inhalation anaesthesia. A dose of bupivacaine 0.5% 0.5 mg kg(-1) was used for infants under 5kg and 0.4 mg kg(-1) for those over 5 kg. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, respiratory rate and SPO2 were recorded before and after spinal anaesthesia at 5 min intervals. Time to onset of analgesia, time to start of operation, duration of operation, anaesthesia and hospitalization, postoperative analgesic requirement and complications were recorded.

RESULTS

Adequate spinal anaesthesia without sedation was better, time to obtain maximum cutaneous analgesia was shorter and need for sedation and postoperative analgesic requirement were significantly lower in Group I. Although heart rate, mean arterial pressure and respiratory rate decreased < 20% in all groups following spinal analgesia, the decrease in Group I was lower than the others.

CONCLUSIONS

Spinal anaesthesia is an effective choice in inguinal hernia repair for full-term infants aged < 1 month, providing excellent and reliable surgical conditions. However, this technique is not as useful for infants aged between 1 and 6 months.

Vitreoretinal surgery in Behçet's disease with severe ocular complications

PURPOSE

To investigate effects of vitreoretinal surgery in Behçet's disease.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Vitreoretinal surgery was applied to 26 eyes of 21 patients with Behçet's disease. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuities, number and duration of attacks, anterior and posterior segment pathologies were evaluated.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 33 years and female/male ratio was 6/15. The mean follow-up was 23 months. Visual acuity increased in 15 eyes (58%), did not change in 11 eyes (42%). In the postoperative period, there was a significant decrease in mean number of uveitis attacks compared to the preoperative period (p=0.001), as well as a significant decrease in the mean duration of uveitis attacks (p=0.001). In the postoperative follow-up, intravitreal haemorrhage in 2 eyes (8%), posterior subcapsular cataract in 5 eyes (19%) and corticonuclear cataract in 2 eyes (8%) were observed. Posterior capsular opacification (PCO) developed in 5 of 16 eyes (31%) having ECLE-IOL. CME continued in 3 eyes (12%).

CONCLUSION

Vitreoretinal surgery has favourable effect on the visual and anatomic prognosis in Behçet's patients with severe ocular complications.

Effect of melatonin against oxidative stress in ultraviolet-B exposed rat lens

PURPOSE

To investigate the defensive effect of melatonin against oxidative stresses in ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation induced cataract development.

METHODS

Young rats received 8 kJ/m(2) UVB for 15 min. For the intervention of cataract development intraperitoneal injection of melatonin (4 mg/kg daily for 1 week) following UVB exposure was performed. Lenticular glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined in UVB-melatonin, UVB, and control groups.

RESULTS

One week after exposure in the UVB group, lens opacities were observed and CAT, SOD, and GSHPx activities, and GSH level were lower than control and MDA level was higher than control (p < 0.05). In the UVB-melatonin group CAT and SOD activities were lower than control (p < 0.05), and the MDA level was lower than the UVB group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that melatonin may protect against the UVB-induced cataract development by directly quenching lipid peroxides and indirectly by enhancing the production of the endogenous antioxidant GSH.