The potential effects of cacao bean meal, Theobroma cacao L., (CBM) on the growth, health status, blood biochemical parameters, antioxidant, immune status, physiological parameters, female reproductive performance, and gonadal histological features of fantail goldfish (Carassius auratus, L.) were evaluated using a complete randomized block design with sex as a block. The trial lasted for 60 days. A total of 54 healthy fantail goldfish (36 broodstock females and 18 broodstock males) were randomly allocated into three treatments with supplementation of three levels of cocoa powder 0, 5, and 10 g kg−1 diet, CBM0, CBM5, and CBM10, respectively, with the sex ratio being four females:two males per replicate. The body weight gain and feed conversion ratio of males were increased in the CBM10 treatment (p < 0.05). The CBM10 diet improved relative feed costs (p < 0.05). Females fed on the CBM10 diet had an increase in the serum level of total protein (p = 0.001). Females fed on a diet supplemented with CBM5 showed a decrease in the serum level of triglyceride compared to females fed on CBM0 and CBM10 diets (p = 0.03). CBM10 diet increased the serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of fish compared to CBM0 and CBM5 diets (p = 0.004). Serum levels of testosterone and estradiol were significantly increased in males fed on the CBM10 diet. The female reproductive performance was improved by CBM supplementation (p < 0.05). Ovarian histology exhibited increased granulation and follicle numbers after dietary CBM supplementation compared to the control treatment. Therefore, cacao bean meal can be used as a feed supplement in the diets of fantail goldfish for improving the growth, health status, and female reproductive performance, economic efficiency, and gonadal histological structure.
Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is rare in children with extremely poor prognosis. Proper management is obscure because of deficient data. The aim of the current study is to assess the clinical characteristics and to determine the different prognostic factors leading to dismal outcome. It is a retrospective study included all CRC patients, below 18 years, treated in Children's Cancer Hospital of Egypt (CCHE) between 2007 and 2016. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, diagnostics, histological subtypes, disease stage, treatment methods, and survival outcome were collected. The result showed that, 15 patients below 18 years. All had unfavorable histopathology (mucinous adenocarcinoma) and 10 cases had metastatic disease. Initial surgical resection was done in 8/15 cases, all patients received neo adjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy. Four patients had rectal adenocarcinoma and were treated with chemo-radiotherapy while 11 had colonic adenocarcinoma. Ten patients had progression or relapse, while 12 died at the end of follow up period; 3-years Overall Survival (OS) and Event Free Survival (EFS) were 17.8% and 16.5% respectively, the only three surviving patients were of lower stage disease. In Conclusions, Clinical presentation of CRC in pediatrics is similar to adults but delayed diagnosis and advanced stages contribute to poor outcome which is due to the absence of familiarity to CRC. The high frequency of mucinous adenocarcinoma may explain the poor outcome. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment as in adults. Preoperative radiotherapy for rectal adenocarcinoma, offers better prognosis. Chemotherapy plays a role in the metastatic disease and can downstage the primary tumor for better local control.
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