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This study evaluated the effect of yeast-derived products on growth performance, gut lesion score, intestinal population ofClostridium perfringens, and local innate immunity of broiler chickens challenged withC. perfringens. One-day-old broiler chickens were randomly assigned to eight dietary treatments providing six replicate pens of 55 birds each per treatment. Dietary treatments consisted of Control diets without and withC. perfringenschallenge, and diets containing bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD, 55 g/tonne), nucleotides (150 g/tonne), yeast cell wall (YCW, 300 g/tonne), and a commercial product Maxi-Gen Plus (1 kg/tonne) fed to chickens challenged withC. perfringens. Diets containing 10% distillers dried grains with solubles without and withC. perfringenschallenge were also used. Birds were orally challenged withC. perfringens(108 colony-forming units (cfu)/bird) on day 14. On day 21, intestinal samples were collected for gene expression analysis. Pathogen challenge significantly (P < 0.05) impaired feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) shortly after the challenge (14–21 days). IncreasedC. perfringenscounts and intestinal lesion scores were observed for challenged birds except the BMD-containing diet. Over the entire trial (1–35 days), no difference in growth performance was observed except the BMD diet which improved FCR over the Control, challenged group. Birds receiving nucleotides showed increased expression of toll-like receptors and cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-18 compared to the Control, challenged group. Expression of macrophage mannose receptor and IL-18 was upregulated in birds receiving YCW. Increased expression of cytokines and receptors involved in innate immunity in broilers receiving nucleotides and YCW suggests the immunomodulatory properties of these products under pathogen challenge conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A randomised controlled trial was conducted to compare the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Dinoprostone Slow Release Pessary (Propess) with Gel (Prostin) for induction of labour (IOL) at term. A total of 120 women requiring IOL at term with no previous uterine surgery and no contraindication to prostaglandins were included. The main outcome measures were efficacy of drug preparations, patient satisfaction and the cost-effectiveness. The secondary outcome measures noted were maternal complications during the labour, type of delivery, the neonate's Apgar scores at birth and 5 min and incidence of significant morbidities. There were insignificant differences between the two groups in induction-to-delivery interval, mode of delivery, number of women delivering within 24 h and neonatal outcomes. However, the number of vaginal examinations was significantly lower in the Propess group. Propess was found to be more cost effective compared with Prostin in view of single dose and less midwifery hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the spatial dimension of plant disease development which was always neglected by epidemiologists despite its importance. It discusses that methods such as spatial scales, mapping and geostatics to be used for spatial analysis. It infers that the spikelet disease severity is numbered and that the metabolic profiles were recorded using gas chromatography.