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Forty eight pigs were reared in outdoor pens (1.2 ha of land surface) from 80 to 180 kg of live weight. Two isoenergetic (ME = 14.6 MJ/kg DM) and isonitrogenous (CP=17.0% DM) feeds were compared; the first feed contained 10% of toasted full-fat soybean of conventional cultivars (TS), in the second one the toasted soybean was replaced by raw full-fat soybean low in antinutritional factors (RS). The pigs were blocked in 4 groups of 12 animals each and fed ad libitum. At 0, 43, 106 days on trial pigs were weighted, back-fat thickness was measured and blood samples were collected. At slaughter, samples of ham cover fat were collected to evaluate their acidic profile. The effects of feeds on growth performance, slaughter parameters, metabolic profile and nitrogen excretion (Nex) were studied. Nex was computed as difference between consumption and retention. No significant effects were observed on growth performance, carcass quality and metabolic profile, but with RS plasma urea concentration significantly decreased with respect to TS (5.33 vs. 6.67 mmol/l; P

The aim of this trial was to evaluate the effects of different sources of soybean on the infra-vitam performance of fattening beef cattle. The animals (56 Limousine) were divided, according to BW (287±17 kg), in 4 experimental groups: LAFS (raw full-fat soybean low in antinutritional factors); SBM (soybean meal); TS (toasted full-fat soybean); NTS (non toasted full-fat soybean). The animals were fed a basal diet (TMR) (DM:59.5%; CP:9.3%DM; NDF:33.9%DM; starch:34.9%DM) supplemented as top dressing with different sources of soybeans in order to reach the same amount of additional CP (473 g/d). To obtain isoenergetic diets, calcium soap of palm fat (234 g/d) was also added to SBM group. Animals were weighed monthly, DM intake was calculated daily and two blood samplings were collected. No metabolic disorders or pathological events were observed during the experiment. The daily gains of the first 6 months were not significantly different among the 4 experimental groups (on the average 1.35 ± 0.25 kg/d). DM intake values in the same period were similar (8.57 ± 0.78 kg/d of DM). The soybean supplementation did not affect the metabolic parameters (calculated as differences between the sampling times) except for the *-glutamyl-transferase (P

We describe a unique and unusual case of post-traumatic direct carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) with occluded proximal internal carotid artery and CCF filling from the contralateral side with retrograde cortical venous reflux. A male patient presented with intracranial haemorrhage due to cortical venous reflux. He was treated endovascularly through a contralateral approach by coiling the cavernous sinus and occluding the distal internal carotid artery at the fistulous site with glue.

The seeds of Tectona grandis Linn. are traditionally acclaimed as hair tonic in the Indian system of medicine. Studies were therefore undertaken in order to evaluate petroleum ether extract of T. grandis seeds for its effect on hair growth in albino mice. The 5% and 10% extracts incorporated into simple ointment base were applied topically on shaved denuded skin of albino mice. The time required for initiation of hair growth as well as completion of hair growth cycle was recorded. Minoxidil 2% solution was applied topically and served as positive control. The result of treatment with minoxidil 2% is 49% hair in anagenic phase. Hair growth initiation time was significantly reduced to half on treatment with the extracts compared to control animals. The treatment was successful in bringing a greater number of hair follicles (64% and 51%) in anagenic phase than standard minoxidil (49%). The results of treatment with 5% and 10% petroleum ether extracts were comparable to the positive control minoxidil.

A 27-year-old man presented with a 2-month history of retro-orbital pain and a 2-week history of progressive ptosis and diplopia. Neurological examination revealed left partial third, fourth and sixth cranial nerve paresis. Imaging revealed a large middle fossa lesion with heterogeneous signal intensity. During surgery, the tumor was found to be entirely within the confines of the dural layers of the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus. Histological analysis revealed that the tumor was a mature teratoma. The case is discussed and the literature on this rare location of teratoma is reviewed.

Arachnoid cysts are rare lesions occurring anywhere in the cerebrospinal axis. The sylvian fissure remains the most favoured site for their occurrence, followed by cerebellopontine angle, suprasellar, and quadrigeminal cisterns. Retroclival arachnoid cysts are very rare. We report a retroclival arachnoid cyst with bilateral cerebellopontine angle extensions with hemifacial spasm in a 26-year-old woman. The patient underwent surgery and her hemifacial spasm improved.

Glioblastoma multiforme of the conus medullaris is rare. It spreads both locally to contiguous structures and also by cerebrospinal seeding. The disease is aggressive and the ultimate prognosis is dismal. We report a case of conus medullaris glioblastoma multiforme with involvement of the holocord. In spite of excision of the conus medullaris tumor followed by radiation, the disease continued to progress rapidly. We discuss the rarity of the disease and the related literature with regard to treatment modalities.

We report a patient with an uncommon interdural epidermoid tumor, located within the confines of dural layers of the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus. The tumor was resected by a basal subtemporal extradural-interdural approach. Following the surgery, the 45-year-old female patient recovered completely from her symptoms of atypical neuralgic facial pains.

We report four patients with fourth ventricle arachnoid cysts. There were two males and two females and the ages ranged from 18 months to 52 years (average 21 years). All patients presented with symptoms of raised intracranial pressure. Excision or marsupialization of the arachnoid cyst in this location was curative in all patients. The follow-up ranged from 1 to 14 years.

A 7-year-old boy with Goldenhar syndrome was diagnosed to have a posterior cranial fossa dermoid cyst. The presence of such a combination of clinical entities has not been reported earlier. The embryonic dysgenesis causing midline posterior fossa dermoid and other anomalies observed in Goldenhar syndrome occur between the third and fifth week of intrauterine life and are probably interrelated. This report emphasizes the need for a high index of suspicion and the value of cranial imaging in a case with Goldenhar syndrome., ((c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The authors report the cases of four patients in whom they diagnosed an extremely rare and hitherto unreported clinical condition-unilateral hypertrophy of the C-1 lateral mass causing symptomatic cord compression. All patients presented with long-standing torticollis and progressive myelopathy. Three patients underwent posterior decompressive surgery and one underwent resection of the part of the lateral mass invading into the spinal canal and subsequent atlantoaxial plate and screw fixation. Clinical improvement of varying degrees occurred in all cases following surgery. The clinical recovery, however, was most remarkable in the patient who underwent resection of the bone portion indenting the cord. The follow-up periods ranged from 2 to 14 years. The remarkable similarity in the presenting clinical and radiological/neuroimaging features in all four patients suggests that unilateral hypertrophy of the lateral mass of atlas may be a defined clinical entity. The treatment strategy needs to be evaluated; however, resection of the compression-causing portion of the hypertrophic bone appears to be the best treatment option.