P element-induced gene conversion has been previously used to modify the white gene of Drosophila melanogaster in a directed fashion. The applicability of this approach of gene targeting in Drosophila melanogaster, however, has not been analyzed quantitatively for other genes. We took advantage of the P element-induced forked allele, f(hd), which was used as a target, and we constructed a vecto...

BACKGROUND Totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass graft (TECABG) surgery has been found to be feasible, but numerous reports associate the procedure with high conversion rates. This report aims to discuss 164 consecutive beating heart TECABG cases without intraoperative conversion to open CABG as well as potential steps to minimize conversion. METHODS Since July 2008, 164 consecutive beati...

objective: an experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of citrus brown snail powder as a source of calcium on growth performance, tibia characteristics, immune response and blood metabolites in broiler chickens.  methods: one hundred and eighty 1-day old chicks were randomly distributed into four treatments, each of which had three replicates. each replicate contains 15 chicks. the t...

BACKGROUND Tuberculosis is a major occupational hazard in low and middle-income countries. Limited data exist on serial testing of healthcare workers (HCWs) with interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), especially in low and middle-income countries. We sought to evaluate the rates of and risk factors for LTBI prevalence and LTBI test conversion among HCWs us...

BACKGROUND Tanzania ranks 15th among the world's 22 countries with the largest tuberculosis burden and tuberculosis has continued to be among the major public health problems in the country. Limited data, especially in patients co infected with HIV, are available to predict the duration of time required for a smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patient to achieve sputum conversion after start...

of VATS lobectomy compared to thoracotomy lobectomy and the influence of the length of stay very much mirror our own larger experience in Canada. When we compared costs of over 250 VATS lobectomy cases to an open lobectomy, intraoperative costs were approximately double ($2810CD vs $1425CD). However, length of stay (LOS) was 1.3 days shorter for VATS cases (4.9 days vs 6.2 days). Based on an an...

In this study, the effects of oxygen supplementation in different stocking densities of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) on the specific growth rates (SGR), feed conversion ratios (FCR) and survival rates were investigated in a commercial-scale culture system. High density cultures were maintained in a total of nine (12 m3) flow-through systems supplemented with O2. Initial stocking rates fo...

The potential bioconversion of synthesis gas (syngas) to fuels and chemicals by microbial cell has attracted considerable attention in past decade. The feasibility of enhancing syngas bioconversion to ethanol and acetate using Clostridium ljungdahlii in a continuous tank bioreactor (CSTBR), kinetics and mass transfer coefficient of carbon monoxide (CO) utilization were evaluated. Two different ...

the effects of probiotic (protexin) and formic acid were studied on humoral and cellular immunity in 200 cobb broiler chicks in a completely randomized design of with 4 treatments and 5 replications (10 observations per replicate). control group (c) did not receive any other than the base treatment. the chicks in the second (p), third (f) and forth (p+f) groups were fed with feed, which contain...