Application of Drip Irrigation on Various Planting Media and Cow Urine in the Main Media of Preliminary Oil Palm Nursery

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of drip irrigation and biological organic fertilizer treatment on oil palm growth. This study used a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. This research consisted of three experiments, namely drip irrigation, planting media composition, and cow urine dose on the growth of oil palm seedlings. There are three levels of drip irrigation, namely 30 minutes, 60 minutes and 90 minutes. Experiments on the type of planting media composition consisted of two types, namely M1 (ultisol soil + husk charcoal + fern fertilizer) and M2 (ultisol soil + empty bunches + goat manure). The cow urine experiment consisted of three levels, namely 100 ml, 150 ml, 300 ml. The results showed that giving water for 30 minutes gave the best results on stem circumference, plant height increase, plant dry weight increase, plant wet weight increase in oil palm seedlings. M1 media (ultisol soil + husk charcoal + fern fertilizer) had a significant effect on the increase in plant height, wet weight and dry weight of oil palm seedlings. Treatment of 150 ml cow urine liquid fertilizer is sufficient for the needs of oil palm seedlings with a response that is not different from 200 ml of cow urine.

Smoking and associated unhealthy lifestyle behaviours in patients with chronic cardiac diseases during COVID-19 related lockdown

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public hospital(s). Main funding source(s): Dijon University Hospital France OnBehalf CLEO-CD Background Lockdown can affect tobacco smoking (TS) behaviours. Purpose To evaluate the impact of lockdown on (TS) and associated lifestyle behaviours in patients with Chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) and congestive heart failure (CHF) Methods CCS and CHF patients were invited to answer to a phone-call questionnaire during the 1st COVID-19 lockdown start Results (Table) 343 questionnaires were fit for analysis, 43 (12.5%) were current smokers (CS). CS were younger (p < 0.001), none stopped and 13 increased their consumption (main reasons were stress and boredom). CS felt more often cramped (p = 0.023). CS who increased their TS consumption showed a trend toward a higher rate of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours Conclusions During the lockdown, more than ¼ of CS with CCS or CHF increased their TS consumption and none quitted. Moreover, TS was often associated with other deleterious behaviours increasing their risk for short and long term Main results Total Non-Smokers Smokers p* N(%) 344 301 43 Age, years 67.7 ± 12.8 69.2 ± 12.2 57.2 ± 12.1 <0.001 Men/Women 229/115 197/104 32/11 0.300 CCS/CHF 220/124 185/116 36/7 0.004 Urban/Rural 163/181 137/164 26/17 0.073 Living alone at home 83(24.3) 68(22.7) 15(34.9) 0.089 COVID screening (PCR) 11(3.2) 7(2.3) 4(9.3) 0.037 Feeling cramped 19(5.5) 13(4.4) 6(14.0) 0.023 Feeling less well 75(21.9) 65(21.7) 10(23.8) 0.842 K6 ≥ 5 81(23.7) 70(23.5) 11(25.6) 0.845 Physical activity decrease 146(42.6) 125(42.1) 21(48.8) 0.323 Screen time increase 154(45.0) 130(43.5) 24(55.8) 0.100 Alcohol consumption increase 14(5.5) 11(4.9) 3(7.5) 0.419 Sleep change 83(24.6) 68(22.5) 15(39.5) 0.083 Weight increase 77(22.4) 64(21.3) 13(30.2) 0.242 Smokers (n = 43) Smoking increase No smoking increase p** Feeling less well 5(38.5) 5(17.2) 0.238 Screen time increase 10(76.9) 14(46.7) 0.104 Weight increase 6(46.2) 7(23.3) 0.173 n(%) or mean ± SD. *p value: Smokers vs non smokers. **p value: Smoking increase vs no smoking increase

Lifestyle Changes and Determinants of Children’s and Adolescents’ Body Weight Increase during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Greece: The COV-EAT Study

Previous studies showed that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown imposed changes in adults’ lifestyle behaviors; however, there is limited information regarding the effects on youth. The COV-EAT study aimed to report changes in children’s and adolescents’ lifestyle habits during the first COVID-19 lockdown and explore potential associations between changes of participants’ lifestyle behaviors and body weight. An online survey among 397 children/adolescents and their parents across 63 municipalities in Greece was conducted in April–May 2020. Parents self-reported changes of their children’s lifestyle habits and body weight, as well as sociodemographic data of their family. The present study shows that during the lockdown, children’s/adolescents’ sleep duration and screen time increased, while their physical activity decreased. Their consumption of fruits and fresh fruit juices, vegetables, dairy products, pasta, sweets, total snacks, and breakfast increased, while fast-food consumption decreased. Body weight increased in 35% of children/adolescents. A multiple regression analysis showed that the body weight increase was associated with increased consumption of breakfast, salty snacks, and total snacks and with decreased physical activity. The COV-EAT study revealed changes in children’s and adolescents’ lifestyle behaviors during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Greece. Effective strategies are needed to prevent excessive body weight gain in future COVID-19 lockdowns.

Legume-rhizobium specificity effect on nodulation, biomass production and partitioning of faba bean (Vicia faba L.)

Greenhouse and multi-location experiments were conducted for two consecutive years to investigate the effects of rhizobium on nodulation, biomass production and partitioning of faba bean. Split-plot in randomized complete block design was used for field experiments. Treatments consisted of six rhizobium strains and three faba bean varieties. Peat carrier-based inoculant of each strain was applied at the rate of 10 g kg−1 seed. Non-inoculated plants without N fertilizer and with N fertilizer served as –N and + N controls, respectively. Data on nodulation, shoot dry weight and root dry weight were collected and analyzed. Inoculation of rhizobium significantly increased nodulation of faba bean under greenhouse and field conditions. Location x strain x variety interaction had significant effects on nodulation, dry matter production and partitioning. Rhizobium inoculation increased nodulation, shoot and root dry weights of faba bean across locations. For example, inoculation with rhizobium strains NSFBR-15 and NSFBR-12 to variety Moti resulted in 206.9 and 99.3% shoot dry weight increase at Abala Gase and Hankomolicha, respectively and 133.3 and 70.7% root dry weight increase on the same variety at the same sites, respectively. Nodulation and biomass production depend on the compatibility between faba bean genotype and rhizobium strain and its interaction with soil bio-physical conditions.

Single-course antenatal corticosteroids is related to faster growth in very-low-birth-weight infant

Background Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) treatment is critical to support survival and lung maturation in preterm infants, however, its effect on feeding and growth is unclear. Prior preterm delivery, it remains uncertain whether ACS treatment should be continued if possible (repeated course ACS), until a certain gestational age is reached. We hypothesized that the association of single-course ACS with feeding competence and postnatal growth outcomes might be different from that of repeated course ACS in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants. Methods A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants born at 23–37 weeks’ gestation in South China from 2011 to 2014. Data on growth, nutritional and clinical outcomes were collected. Repeated course ACS was defined in this study as two or more courses ACS (more than single-course). Infants were stratified by gestational age (GA), including GA < 28 weeks, 28 weeks ≤ GA < 32 weeks and 32 weeks ≤ GA < 37 weeks. Multiple linear regression and multilevel model were applied to analyze the association of ACS with feeding and growth outcomes. Results A total of 841 infants were recruited. The results, just in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants born at 28–32 weeks’ gestation, showed both single and repeated course of ACS regimens had shorter intubated ventilation time compared to non-ACS regimen. Single-course ACS promoted the earlier application of amino acid and enteral nutrition, and higher rate of weight increase (15.71; 95%CI 5.54–25.88) than non-ACS after adjusting for potential confounding factors. No associations of repeated course ACS with feeding, mean weight and weight increase rate were observed. Conclusions Single-course ACS was positively related to feeding and growth outcomes in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants born at 28–32 weeks’ gestation. However, the similar phenomenon was not observed in the repeated course of ACS regimen.

Egg laying response of Arco black hen to garri chaff and cassava peel based diets

The need to optimize the utilization of garri processing by-products and improve the protein availability through egg production motivated this study. 165 Acro Black laying hen of 41 weeks old were grouped into five dietary treatments of 35 birds per treatment and five replicates of seven birds each. Layers' diets were compounded at 0%, 11.25%, 22.5%, 33.5% and 45% of garri chaff and 0%, 3.575%, 7.15%, 10.275% and 14.3% of sun dried cassava peel levels of inclusion. The diets and groups of birds were labelled A, B, C, D and E and the birds were fed with their corresponding diets for 6 consecutive weeks. Records of feed consumption and number of eggs laid were taken daily throughout the period of experimentation. The results showed that egg laying performance was of the order C>D>A>B>E among the dietary treatments. While egg laying performance hovered around 60% in the control treatment A, it increased from 57% to 86% in group C. Birds in treatment E had the least feed consumption and least egg laying performance. Weight increase of the birds at the end of the experimentation were of the order A>B>D>C>E. It was thus concluded that garri chaff and cassava peel appeared useful as ingredients in layers' diets at about equal quantity with maize and wheat offal, respectively but the feed should be adequately fortified with protein rich feedstuffs and the diets must be introduced early to avoid rejection by the birds.

Heterosis for hatch weight and body weight gain in outcrossed native chickens of Nigeria under savanna conditions

The normal feathered (NF), frizzle feathered (FF) and naked neck (Na) native chickens of Nigeria were outcrossed under the savanna ecology. Eggs were collected and artificially incubated in electric type incubator. Chicks were weighed at hatch, identified and raised on a standard compounded ration. Body weight increase was evaluated at 4-20 weeks of age. Heterosis was evaluated for hatch weight and body weight at 20 weeks of age. Results revealed that percent heterosis ranged from -12.11to 1.66 and 1.93 to 12.80 for hatch weight and body weight at 20 weeks of age, respectively. The outcrosses using the NF as males had a higher body weight at 20 weeks of age. Consequently, the environmental limitation on growth impinged more on the NF than on the FF and Na genotypes. It was also noted that there is a greater divergence between the NF and the FF, the NF and Na than between the FF and Na birds. Outcrossing the NF birds with the FF and Na birds in the savanna may therefore improve body weight at 20 weeks of age in the outcrosses than in the respective straight bred genotypes.

Evaluation of Four Practical Diets on the Growth and Survival of Juvenile Redclaw, Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens, 1868)

Redclaw, Cherax quadricariatus (von Martens) has shown promise as an aquaculture species but commercial development has been constrained by variability of production, perhaps due to poor survival and growth of early craylings. Diet contributes to survival and growth and previous studies have determined requirements for larger redclaw, but little research exists for the early craylings. An experiment was performed to evaluate survival and growth of early instar redclaw using four diets; Frippak (commercial shrimp diet), CSIRO compound diet, bloodworms, and on-grown Artemia. Bloodworms and Artemia produced significantly higher survival of craylings over two weeks than the two other diets. Artemia diet had a significantly higher weight increase than bloodworms or the CSIRO diet, but not Frippak, which did not differ from bloodworms or CSIRO. Biomass was significantly higher when fed Artemia. High mortality in the Frippak and CSIRO diet treatments were not wholly attributable to nutritional deficiencies as the manufactured diets became less physically accessible, potentially reducing intake, leading to difficulties completing ecdysis and eventually death. This study concluded that Artemia and bloodworms promoted highest survival, and Artemia and Frippak the highest weight gain. The best combination of survival, weight gain and biomass was with the Artemia diet.