Tenofovir diphosphate in dried blood spots and HIV-1 resistance in South Africa

BACKGROUND

Suboptimal antiretroviral (ART) adherence can lead to virologic failure with consequent HIV-1 resistance. Tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) in dried blood spots (DBS) is a powerful biomarker of cumulative adherence, predictive of future viremia. It has been associated with resistance in Persons With HIV (PWH) in South Africa and the US. We explored the relationship of TFV-DP concentrations with antiretroviral drug resistance at the time of treatment failure in SA.

METHODS

Adult PWH from health clinics in Cape Town, South Africa on efavirenz-based first-line ART containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) with an undetectable (< 50 copies/mL) HIV-1 viral load (VL) were prospectively enrolled in an observational cohort for 12 months. Monthly study visits included blood collection for HIV-1 VL and DBS for TFV-DP. The first confirmed viral breakthrough (VB) > 400 copies/mL triggered HIV-1 genotyping at the subsequent visit. An electronic adherence (EA) device monitored ART adherence in real-time, estimated as a percent for the 30-days prior to VB. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare median [IQR] TFV-DP by genotype outcome.

RESULTS

Of 250 individuals, (n = 195, 78% women), 21 experienced VB, with a median of 5 [4;7] months on study, and a median EA of 33.3 [13.3;53.3]%. Demographic characteristics between those with and without VB were similar. Median VL at VB was 4.0 [3.2;4.5] log copies/mL. TFV-DP concentrations trended down towards the VB visit. Median TFV-DP concentrations were significantly higher in those HIV-1 genotype did not amplify due to being virally suppressed at the subsequent visit (n = 10; 380 [227-661] fmol/punch, p = 0.035; EA 45 [24.9; 59.2]%); than in those who were successfully genotyped with evidence of drug resistance (n = 5, 241 [150-247] fmol/punch, EA 20 [6.7;36.7]%) and in individuals who did not have resistance (n = 3, 39.9 [16.6; 93.9] fmol/punch; EA 33.3 [16-38]%). Three genotype collections were not done. Only non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-associated mutations were identified on resistance testing. (K103N, E138K, Y118H).

CONCLUSION

TFV-DP in DBS showed a step-wise inverse relationship with VB and drug resistance, with evidence of low cumulative ART adherence in PWH who developed antiretroviral resistance. Monitoring TFV-DP concentrations could be a valuable tool for predicting future VB and future resistance.

Abundance and variation of gaseous NH3 in relation with inorganic fertilizers and soil moisture during Kharif and Rabi season

In an agricultural country like India, inorganic fertilizers are the major contributors of atmospheric NH₃ in rural areas affecting soil, vegetation and water bodies. In this study, day-night and seasonal variation of ammonia emissions were measured from July 2017 to June 2018 during Kharif and Rabi crop seasons at a rural agricultural site in Jhajjar district of Haryana. Also, NH₃ emission inventory is prepared for the amount of fertilizers applied during its basal and top dressing. NH₃ concentrations were noticed significantly lower after basal dressing of DAP fertilizers as compared to the concentrations after top dressing of urea. NH₃ concentration in air increased with decrease in water saturation of the soil. NH₃ emission was recorded as 1.4 to 45.2, 63.1 to 190.9, and 98.9 to 187.5 μg m^-3 during sowing, fertilizer addition, and grain filling stages, respectively, in Kharif season. Apart from these crop stages, NH₃ was measured as 56.8 to 249.5 μg m^-3 during crop residue burning period. On the other hand, NH₃ emissions ranged from 22.9 to 68.4, 59.4 to 104.71, 26.3 to 56.0, 48.2 to 147.2, and 21.5 to 80.4 μg m^-3 during sowing, crown root initiation (CRI), panicle initiation, grain filling, and maturity crop, respectively, in Rabi season. The average NH₃ concentrations during Kharif season (125.3 μg m^-3) were significantly greater than the concentrations during Rabi season (51.8 μg m^-3). However, a reduction in the NH₃ values was observed in the period between Kharif and Rabi seasons, which could be attributed to the wet deposition during monsoon and gas to particle conversion due to less temperature conditions during the periods.

Feeding silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) oil to growing rabbits improves the fatty acid composition of meat, liver and perirenal fat

Silkworm oil was used in a rabbit diet to evaluate its benefit on the fatty acid (FA) profile of different carcass portions. Two experimental diets were prepared: a control diet (commercial diet with 13 g/kg sunflower oil) and a silkworm oil diet (SWO) (commercial diet with 13 g/kg silkworm oil). Rabbits received the experimental diets the last three weeks before slaughter, which occurred at 10 weeks of age. At slaughter, hind leg meat, liver, and perirenal fat were sampled for FA profile analysis. The SWO diet significantly increased the n-3 FA of all three sampling sites and halved the n-6/n-3 ratio of hind leg meat and perirenal fat. Furthermore, the liver of SWO rabbits was also richer in C22:6 n-3 compared to that of control rabbits. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the total dietary replacement of sunflower oil with silkworm oil in fattening rabbits positively changed the FA profile of the considered carcass tissues.

ANN-GA based biosorption of As(III) from water through chemo-tailored and iron impregnated fungal biofilter system

The iron impregnated fungal bio-filter (IIFB) discs of luffa sponge containing Phanerochaete chrysosporium mycelia have been used for the removal of As(III) from water. Two different forms of same biomass viz. free fungal biomass (FFB) and modified free fungal biomass (chemically modified and iron impregnated; CFB and IIFB) have been simultaneously investigated to compare the performance of immobilization, chemo-tailoring and iron impregnation for remediation of As(III). IIFB showed highest uptake capacity and percentage removal of As(III), 1.32 mg/g and 92.4% respectively among FFB, CFB and IIFB. Further, the application of RSM and ANN-GA based mathematical model showed a substantial increase in removal i.e. 99.2% of As(III) was filtered out from water at optimised conditions i.e. biomass dose 0.72 g/L, pH 7.31, temperature 42 °C, and initial As(III) concentration 1.1 mg/L. Isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic studies proved that the process followed monolayer sorption pattern in spontaneous and endothermic way through pseudo-second order kinetic pathway. Continuous mode of As(III) removal in IIFB packed bed bioreactor, revealed increased removal of As(III) from 76.40 to 88.23% with increased column height from 5 to 25 cm whereas the removal decreased from 88.23 to 69.45% while increasing flow rate from 1.66 to 8.30 mL/min. Moreover, the IIFB discs was regenerated by using 10% NaOH as eluting agent and evaluated for As(III) removal for four sorption–desorption cycles, showing slight decrease of their efficiency by 1–2%. SEM–EDX, pHzpc, and FTIR analysis, revealed the involvement of hydroxyl and amino surface groups following a non-electrostatic legend exchange sorption mechanism during removal of As(III).

ONCOCYTIC ADRENOCORTICAL CARCINOMA IN A YOUNG PATIENT

Context

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare neoplasm with an aggressive course and poor prognosis. The worldwide incidence is about 0.5 to 2 cases per million population per year. Oncocytic adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare histopathological variant of ACC with only a few reported cases in the literature.

Case report

We report a case of an oncocytic variant of adrenocortical carcinoma in a 21-year-old male patient who presented with a left adrenal mass. Imaging studies confirmed a large left adrenal mass with involvement of the left renal vein and inferior vena cava. Endocrine workup showed mildly elevated serum cortisol levels.

Discussion

Oncocytic AAC is a rare histopathological variant of ACC, as well as a rare subgroup of oncocytic adrenal neoplasms Hormonally active or functioning adrenocortical carcinomas most commonly secrete cortisol whereas co-secretion of multiple steroid hormones is a rare phenomenon.

Conclusions

Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment, but most of the patients present late with large masses and eventually become unsuitable for curative resection.

Influence of green tea powder on the performance, nutrient utilisation, caecal microbiota profile and meat quality of broiler chickens

This study assessed the influence of green tea powder diet supplementation on performance, nutrient utilisation, caecal microbiota profile and meat quality in broiler chickens. A total of 144, one-day-old broiler (Ross 308) chicks were allocated to 18 cages (eight broilers/cage) which were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments: a wheat-based basal diet or supplemented with one of two types of green tea; normal (N-GT) or selenium-rich (Se-GT) tea, at an inclusion rate of 1%. Bird performance, nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolisable energy (AMEn), and total tract digestibility of fat and starch were measured on d 7, 21 and 35. Effects on microbiota profile on d 7, 21 and 35 were determined in a cohort study. Green tea supplementation reduced (P<0.05) the weight gain and feed intake but improved (P<0.05) feed efficiency. Supplementation with N-GT increased the AMEn on d 7 and 21, and with Se-GT on d 7 (P<0.05). AMEn increased with age for all treatments. Fat digestibility increased (P<0.05) in birds fed N-GT on d 21 and Se-GT on d 7 and 21. Starch digestibility increased (P<0.05) on d 21 with N-GT supplementation and on d 7 with Se-GT supplementation. Carcass and breast meat yields were unaffected (P<0.05) by the dietary treatments. The abdominal fat pad decreased (P<0.05) in the N-GT diet and numerically in the Se- GT diet. Drip loss was less in meat from birds (P<0.05) fed both green tea treatments. Cooking loss was reduced in the Se-GT treatment (P<0.05). Dietary inclusion of green tea powder positively influenced microbiota profile, with increased (P<0.05) numbers of beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp.) and reduced (P<0.05) numbers of pathogenic bacteria (Clostridium spp. and Bacteroides spp.). Differences were observed between the two green tea types, with Se-GT being more beneficial than N-GT in the positive modulation of intestinal microbiota.

Relevance of work-from-home culture in post Covid-19 era: regarding productivity of employees in IT sector

COVID-19 has not just affected the health of citizens. However, the world’s economic wheel stopped. All the import-export activities were sieged, schools, colleges, malls, and any other similar place, where there is a chance of gathering, has been locked down. A major section of the global economy was closed down for a period of two to three months. Still, they are operating with minimum permitted capacity. The service sector is opening up stage-wise, and people have started to work in their respective offices. Before this, most people, right from teachers to CEOs of top companies, worked from home. 100% of IT and ITES based organizations were working from their homes in the recent past; rather, these people were working from home before the COVID-19 situation. This present study will evaluate the interest areas of people working from home and try to evaluate the scenario of working from home even after the pandemic of COVID-19 is over.

Cannabidiol and refractory epilepsy: parental and caregiver perspectives of participation in a compassionate access scheme

Background

The Compassionate Access Scheme (CAS) being delivered through the Queensland Children’s Hospital is designed to allow access to an investigational purified Cannabidiol oral solution to paediatric patients with severe refractory epilepsy. The objectives of this study were to conduct semi-structured interviews to:

1. Understand families’ expectations and attitudes about the use of an investigational cannabinoid product for their child’s seizures;

2. Understand families’ perceptions of Cannabidiol’s efficacy for their child’s seizures; and other aspects of their child’s behaviour, quality of life and/or cognition.

Methods

Children aged 2-18 years had been enrolled in, or were enrolled in a compassionate access scheme for Cannabidiol at the time of the study. Semi-structured interviews (n = 19) with parents or caregivers (n = 23) of children diagnosed with refractory epilepsy were voice-recorded, transcribed and analysed to generate common themes.

Results

Key themes emerged relating to seizure activity, family and school engagement, drug safety and legal access, efficacy, clinical support, social acceptance of the medication and program delivery. The use of Cannabidiol was perceived to have benefits in relation to reducing the severity and frequency of seizure activity for almost a third of patients experiencing refractory epilepsy. Participants described other benefits including improved social engagement, wakefulness and a reduction of side effects related to a reduction of conventional medication dosage.

Conclusion

This study provided unique perspectives of families’ experiences managing untreatable epilepsy, their experiences with conventional and experimental pharmacological treatments and health services. Whilst families’ perceptions showed the use of Cannabidiol did not provide a therapeutic reduction in the seizure activity for all patients diagnosed with refractory epilepsy, it’s use as an additional pharmacological agent was perceived to provide other benefits by some patient families.

Segmental and global longitudinal strain differences between children with paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and Kawasaki disease

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Introduction

 The paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS) and Kawasaki disease (KD) have overlapping features. This study aimed to describe the strain segmental analysis among both entities.

Methods

Retrospective review of strain segmental analysis within 4 weeks of presentation of symptoms among children diagnosed with PIMS-TS between April and June 2020 and a historic cohort of typical KD from the Royal Brompton Hospital, London.

Results

We included 33 PIMS-TS patients (23 males, 69.7%) at a mean age of 8 ± 4,9 years old and 45 KD patients (31 males, 68,9%) at a mean age of 5,8 ± 4,5 years old. PIMS-TS patients were older at presentation (p = 0.038). Left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) was normal in both groups (63,3% vs 63,5%; p= 0,89), 4/33 PIMS-TS children (12,1%) had coronary arteries abnormalities (CAA), whereas 100% of KD cohort had CAA. Both groups had a normal global longitudinal strain (GLS),but in PIMS-TS it was significantly reduced compared to the KD group (-20% vs -22%; p = 0,008). Basal segments were the most affected in PIMS-TS with significant difference in the basal anterior and anterolateral strain compared to KD (respectively -18,2% vs -23,4%; p < 0,001 and - 16,7% vs -22,7%; p < 0,001). PIMS-TS had a greater anterior, anterolateral and posterior segments involvement with a significant reduction in the anterolateral mid-wall longitudinal strain (-18,3% vs -22%; p = 0,002). Apical segments were less involved, with significant difference only in the septal and inferior apical strain (respectively p = 0.001 and p = 0,032).

Conclusions

 These preliminary data showed that after 4 weeks from the onset of symptoms, all PIMS-TS patients had a normal LVEF but they had a significant reduction in GLS and different segmental involvement compared to KD cohort. We hypothesize that these findings may be related to direct myocardial damage in PIMS-TS rather than caused by coronaries perfusion abnormalities.

Effect of a dietary inclusion of full-fat or defatted silkworm pupa meal on the nutrient digestibility and faecal microbiome of fattening quails

Silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) pupae are a by-product derived from silk production, which is often treated as waste and thus discarded: this can cause serious environmental problems and a loss of nutrients. Silkworm pupae are a rich source of protein and lipids, and the resulting protein meal can provide promising outcomes as livestock feed, notably for monogastric species. However, one possible issue that needs to be considered is the possible implication of the 1-Deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ), a bio-compound of the silkworm that impairs glucose absorption, in poultry nutrition. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effect of the dietary inclusion of full-fat or defatted silkworm pupa meal (SWM) on the apparent digestibility of nutrients, feed choice and faecal microbiome in meat-producing quails. For the digestibility trial, a total of thirty-three 27-day-old Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were individually housed in digestibility cages and received three experimental diets: a control diet (control, commercial feed for fattening quails), and two other diets containing the 12.5% of either a full-fat SWM (SWM-FULL) or a defatted SWM (SWM-DEF). Subsequently, twenty-seven 33-day-old quails were simultaneously provided with Control, SWM-FULL and SWM-DEF diets for a 10-day feed choice trial. The results of the digestibility trial showed that the DM intake and excreta production were higher in both SWM groups than in the Control one (P < 0.001). The apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter, CP, ether extract, starch and energy was lower in both SWM groups than in the control group (P < 0.001), suggesting the possible implication of chitin and 1-DNJ. The feed choice test showed that quails preferred the Control diet (P < 0.001). From the microbiome analysis of the excreta, families such as Streptococcaceae (P < 0.05), Rikenellaceae and Eubacteriaceae (P < 0.01) and taxa at species level such as Lactobacillus delbrueckii (P < 0.05), Aneurinibacillus thermoaerophilus and Bacillus thermoamylovorans (P < 0.01) scored higher in SWM-FULL quails than in SWM-DEF and Control treatments. The present study demonstrated that a successful dietary inclusion of SWM for fattening quails needs to overcome the digestive criticalities caused by the of presence specific bio-compounds, namely chitin and 1-DNJ.

Magneto-elastic properties of a spin crossover membrane deposited on a deformable substrate

Spin-crossover (SCO) solids have been studied for several years due to their fascinating physical properties and their potential applications as optical switches and reversible high-density memories for information storage. Through this article, we will examine in details the effects of substrate's lattice parameters, on a deformable spin crossover membrane, simulated using an electro-elastic model taking into account the volume change at the transition. The molecules of the membrane can be either in the low spin state (LS) or the high spin state (HS), while those of the substrate are electronically neutral. Magnetic properties of the SCO membrane and the pressure distribution as a function of the lattice parameter of the substrate have been investigated. We demonstrated that the thermally induced first-order spin transition is significantly affected by the structural properties of the substrate, where a rise in the lattice parameter of the latter lowers the transition temperature and reduces the width of the thermal hysteresis loop. The investigations on the spatiotemporal aspects of the spin transition in the membrane demonstrates that the nucleation and growth processes are sensitive to the structural properties of the elastic misfit between the substrate and the SCO membrane.

Comorbidities and related factors in rheumatoid arthritis patients of south India- Karnataka Rheumatoid Arthritis Comorbidity (KRAC) study

The aim was to study the prevalence of comorbidities in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in everyday clinical practice and their association with disease-specific and demographic factors. The multi-center study recruited 3,247 (at 14 centers, and 265) were excluded due to incomplete data. The number of subjects considered for the analysis was 2982. The mean (±standard deviation) age was 48.98±12.64 years and the male-to-female ratio was 1:5. The data was collected based on a pre-structured pro forma by trained clinical research associates through interview and verification of charts and reports available in the patient records. The following comorbidities were studied: cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, thyroid disease, psychiatric diseases like depression, and pulmonary disease. Hypertension (20.7%), diabetes mellitus (14.4%) and thyroid disease (18.3%) were the most prevalent comorbidities. Hypercholesterolemia (5.3%), pulmonary diseases (2.1%), cardiovascular diseases (0.2%) and depression (0.03%) were prevalent in ≤5% of the study population. The overall presence of comorbidity increased with age and reduced with the duration of illness prior (DOIP). The age, gender, and DOIP differed significantly between groups with and without hypercholesterolemia. Females had a statistically increased prevalence of thyroid disease. The prevalence of comorbidities in RA patients from south India is around 40% and the incidence of comorbidity increased with age. As per the literature evidence, the prevalence in the current study subjects was higher when compared to prevalence of similar diseases occurring in the general south Indian population.

Approaches towards the development of chimeric DPP4/ACE inhibitors for treating metabolic syndrome

Designing drug candidates exhibiting polypharmacology is one of the strategies adopted by medicinal chemists to address multifactorial diseases. Metabolic disease is one such multifactorial disorder characterized by hyperglycaemia, hypertension and dyslipidaemia among others. In this paper we report a new class of molecular framework combining the pharmacophoric features of DPP4 inhibitors with those of ACE inhibitors to afford potent dual inhibitors of DPP4 and ACE.

Circulating genotypes of Pneumocystis jirovecii and its clinical correlation in patients from a single tertiary center in India

The present study was carried out with the objectives of genotyping Pneumocystis jirovecii at three distinct loci, to identify the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and to study its clinical implications in patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). Analysis of genetic diversity in P. jirovecii from immunocompromised patients was carried out by genotyping at three distinct loci encoding mitochondrial large subunit rRNA (mtLSU rRNA), cytochrome b (CYB), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays followed by direct DNA sequencing. Of the 300 patients enrolled in the present study, 31 (10.33%) were positive for PCP by a specific mtLSU rRNA nested PCR assay, whereas only 15 P. jirovecii could be amplified at the other two loci (SOD and CYB). These positives were further subjected to sequence typing. Important genotypic combinations between four SNPs (mt85, SOD110, SOD215, and CYB838) and clinical outcomes could be observed in the present study, and mt85A, mt85T, and SOD110C/SOD215T were frequently associated with "negative follow-up". These SNPs were also noted to be relatively more prevalent amongst circulating genotypes in our study population. The present study is the first of its kind from the Indian subcontinent and demonstrated that potential SNPs of P. jirovecii may possibly be attributed to the clinical outcome of PCP episodes in terms of severity or fatality in different susceptible populations likely to develop PCP during their course of illness.

Influence of method of wheat inclusion and pellet diameter on performance, nutrient utilisation, digestive tract measurements and carcass characteristics of broilers

The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of method of wheat inclusion and pellet diameter on performance, nutrient utilisation, digestive tract development and carcass characteristics of broilers. The experimental design was a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, which included three diet forms, namely ground wheat (GW) and 200 g/kg whole wheat (WW) replacing GW before or after pelleting, and two pellet diameters (3.0 and 4.76 mm). Experimental diets were offered ad libitum from Day 11 to Day 35 post-hatch. Pellet durability index was higher (P < 0.05) in GW diets and deteriorated (P < 0.05) with pre-pelleting inclusion of WW when the larger die was used. Larger pellet diameter increased (P < 0.05) the weight gain and lowered (P < 0.05) feed per gain of birds fed diets with GW and post-pellet inclusion of WW. However, in birds fed diets with pre-pelleting inclusion of WW, the larger pellet diameter lowered (P < 0.05) feed intake and weight gain, and increased (P < 0.05) feed per gain. Relative gizzard weight was increased (P < 0.05) by larger pellet diameter with pre-pelleting inclusion of WW, but was unaffected (P > 0.05) in diets containing GW or post-pellet inclusion of WW. Irrespective of the method of WW inclusion, larger pellet diameter increased (P < 0.05) the apparent metabolisable energy and ileal starch digestibility. Larger pellet diameter was associated with reductions (P < 0.05) in the relative length and weight of all components of the digestive tract in GW-fed birds, but had no effect (P > 0.05) on these parameters in birds fed WW diets. Larger pellet diameter increased (P < 0.05) carcass yield in the GW group, reduced (P < 0.05) in the pre-pelleting WW group and had no effect in the post-pelleting WW group. Overall, these results showed that the effect of pellet diameter on broiler performance varied depending on the form of wheat and method of WW inclusion. Adverse effects on weight gain in the pre-pelleting WW group were due primarily to reduced feed intake resulting from poor pellet quality.

Influence of prepelleting inclusion of whole corn on performance, nutrient utilization, digestive tract measurements, and cecal microbiota of young broilers

The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of prepelleting inclusion of graded levels of whole corn on performance, digestive tract measurements, nutrient utilization, and cecal microbiota in broiler starters. Five diets, containing 600 g/kg of ground corn or 150, 300, 450, and 600 g/kg of whole corn replacing (wt/wt) ground corn, were formulated and cold-pelleted at 65°C. Each diet was offered ad libitum to 6 replicates (8 birds per replicate cage) from d 1 to 21 posthatch. The proportion of coarse particles (>1 mm) increased with increasing prepelleting inclusion of whole corn. Pellet quality, measured as pellet durability index, increased (quadratic effect, P < 0.001) with the inclusion of whole corn to 450 g/kg and then plateaued. Weight gain and feed intake decreased (linear effect, P < 0.001) with increasing prepelleting inclusion of whole corn. Feed per gain (quadratic effect, P < 0.05) increased as the inclusion level of whole corn increased to 300 g/kg and then plateaued with further inclusions. Relative gizzard weight (quadratic effect, P < 0.05) increased with increasing inclusion of whole corn up to 300 g/kg and then levelled off. The AME (quadratic effect, P < 0.05) increased up to 300 g/kg of whole corn inclusion and then decreased with further inclusion. Apparent ileal digestibility of DM (P < 0.001), N (linear effect, P = 0.07), and starch (linear effect, P < 0.001) increased with increasing inclusion levels of whole corn. Based on the fluorescence in situ hybridization method, a linear (P < 0.05) effect was determined for cecal microbiota numbers. Lactobacillus spp. counts increased and counts of Clostridium spp., Campylobacterium spp., and Bacteroides spp. decreased with increasing inclusion levels of whole corn. The present data showed that, despite increased gizzard weight and nutrient utilization, weight gain of broilers was poorer with prepelleting inclusion of whole corn due to reductions in the feed intake.

Effect of feeding diets based on coarse maize on productive performance, gizzard development and energy utilisation of laying hens

1. A total of 2200 White Leghorn layers were used to study the effect of feeding coarse maize on productive performance, gizzard weight, apparent metabolisable energy (AME) and egg quality parameters. 2. The experiment was a completely randomised design with 5 treatments, each being replicated 5 times (88 birds per replicate). Dietary treatments included a control diet with 600 g/kg of ground maize (6 mm sieve) and experimental diets with 150, 300, 450 or 600 g/kg coarse maize (10 mm sieve) replacing (w/w) ground maize. Diets, in mash form, were offered from 39 to 62 weeks of age. 3. Over the entire experimental period, dietary treatments had no effect on any of the production parameters, except on feed intake. A quadratic effect was observed for feed intake, where intake increased at 150 g/kg coarse maize inclusion. At higher inclusion levels of coarse maize, feed intake was similar to that of the control diet. But the differences in daily intake between dietary treatments were only around 1 g/bird and may not be of any biological significance. 4. Dietary treatments had no effect on gizzard weight, AME or egg quality. 5. The results indicate that coarse maize could completely replace maize in layer diets with no adverse effect on egg production, egg quality and dietary energy utilisation. In the current work, although the proportion of coarse particles (over 1 mm) increased with increasing inclusion levels of coarse maize, the differences in the percentage of particles above 1 mm between the fine control (0 g/kg coarse maize) and coarsest (600 g/kg coarse maize) diets was only 15%, and this may limit the value of the findings reported herein.

Report of chronic myeloid leukemia SMS Medical College Hospital, Jaipur

This is a retrospective analysis of patients of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) registered and under treatment at the Leukemia Lymphoma Clinic at the Birla Cancer Center, SMS Medical College Hospital, Jaipur. Approximately, two-thirds of the patients are getting imatinib mesylate (IM) through the Glivec International Patient Assistance Program while the rest are on generic IM. In addition to comparison of hematological and molecular responses in the Glivec versus the genetic group, in this analysis, an attempt is also made to assess the socio-economic (SE) status of the patients and its effect on the response rates. Of the 213 patients studied, most (28.6%) are in the age group between 30 years and 40 years and the mean age of the patients in 39 years, a good decade younger that in the west. There is a suggestion that patients in lower SE class present with higher Sokal scores and with more disease burden. Possibly hematological responses are similar with both Glivec and generic IM. No comment can be made with regards to molecular response between the two groups as a significant number of patients in the Glivec arm (42%) do not have molecular assessment because of economic reasons. CML is a common and challenging disease in the developing world with patients presenting at an earlier age with more advanced disease. SE factors play a significant role in therapy and disease monitoring decision making and may impact on response rates and prognosis.

Expertise-based randomized clinical trial of laparoscopic versus small-incision open cholecystectomy (Br J Surg 2013; 100: 886-894)

The Editors welcome topical correspondence from readers relating to articles published in the Journal. Responses should be sent electronically via the BJS website (www.bjs.co.uk). All letters will be reviewed and, if approved, appear on the website. A selection of these will be edited and published in the Journal. Letters must be no more than 250 words in length.

Long-range interacting many-body systems with alkaline-earth-metal atoms

Alkaline-earth-metal atoms can exhibit long-range dipolar interactions, which are generated via the coherent exchange of photons on the (3)P(0) - (3)D(1) transition of the triplet manifold. In the case of bosonic strontium, which we discuss here, this transition has a wavelength of 2.6 μm and a dipole moment of 4.03 D, and there exists a magic wavelength permitting the creation of optical lattices that are identical for the states (3)P(0) and (3)D(1). This interaction enables the realization and study of mixtures of hard-core lattice bosons featuring long-range hopping, with tunable disorder and anisotropy. We derive the many-body master equation, investigate the dynamics of excitation transport, and analyze spectroscopic signatures stemming from coherent long-range interactions and collective dissipation. Our results show that lattice gases of alkaline-earth-metal atoms permit the creation of long-lived collective atomic states and constitute a simple and versatile platform for the exploration of many-body systems with long-range interactions. As such, they represent an alternative to current related efforts employing Rydberg gases, atoms with large magnetic moment, or polar molecules.

Effect of carbamazepine on the pharmacokinetic parameters of CDRI-97/78 following coadministration to rats

Coadministration of 2 or more drugs may result in unexpected toxicity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of carbamazepine coadministration on the pharmacokinetics of CDRI-97/78, an 1,2,4-trioxane antimalarial agent. Firstly, 97/78 was administered alone and then 97/78 and carbamazepine were coadministered to male and female rats. An revalidated LC-MS/MS method was used for quantitation of 97/63 since 97/78 is instantly and completely converted to 97/63 (an in-vivo active metabolite). The Tmax and Cmax values of 97/63 were 1.75±0.77 h and 862±306 ng/mL in male rats whereas in female rats they were 5.45±0.76 h and 662.75±95.09 ng/mL after a single dose of 97/78 alone. However, following coadministration of 97/78 and carbamazepine, the values for Tmax and Cmax were 1.06±0.16 h and 533±153 ng/mL in male rats and 2.23±1.93 h and 636.5±112.4 ng/mL in female rats. The half life of 97/63 following a single oral dose of 97/78 or coadministration with carbamazepine to male rats was 6.98±0.63 h and 6.64±0.54 h, respectively; the values in female rats were 7.5±0.5 h and 5.48±0.37 h. A statistically insignificant difference (P>0.05) was observed with the student t-test for the pharmacokinetic parameters of 97/63 following oral administration of 97/78 alone or coadministration of 97/78 and carbamazepine except for MRT in female rats. Intersex statistical comparison also showed an insignificant difference for 97/63 following oral administration of 97/78 alone or in combination with carbamazepine except for MRT, which supports coadministration of 97/78 and carbamazepine.