We investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of β-glucans from mulberry leaves and curcuma on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics, and characteristics of faeces in weaned pigs. A total of 75 crossbred weaned pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] with an average body weight (BW) of 8.48 ± 1.65 kg was used in a 5 wk trial. The pigs were sorted into pens with five pigs per pens and five pens per treatments. Treatments were (1) a corn-soybean meal-based control, (2) 0.1% β-glucans from mulberry leaves, and (3) 0.1% β-glucans from curcuma. Pigs fed β-glucans from mulberry leaves and curcuma had higher average daily gain (ADG) and gain/feed intake ratio (G/F) than control. On digestibility, pigs fed β-glucans from mulberry leaves and curcuma had higher on digestibility of dry matter (DM) and energy than corn-soybean meal-based control during 2 weeks. No significant differences were observed on blood characteristics and faecal microflora, score, moisture, and pH among treatments. Difference of mulberry leaves and curcuma was not observed on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics, and characteristics of faeces. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of β-glucan from mulberry leaves and curcuma can improve ADG, G/F, and dry matter and energy of nutrient digestibility in weaned pigs. Therefore, β-glucans can use as antibiotics alternatives, improving the productivity. ARTICLE HISTORY

Phase coherence behavior in thin films of a diblock copolymer that exhibits microphase separation upon heating in the bulk has been analyzed through a proper mean-field free energy functional based on a compressible random-phase approximation theory. Phase coherent profiles at equilibrium and their decay lengths were obtained analytically for those copolymer films. Taking deuterated polystyrene-b-poly(n-propyl methacrylate) as a model system, molecular parameters characterizing the copolymer were shown to yield the growing tendency of surface segregated or phase coherent profiles upon heating. Neutron reflectivity measurements were performed for the copolymer films to be compared with theory. Phase coherence prior to bulk ordering temperatures and subsequent decay lengths observed for the given system were shown to be in agreement with theory.

With improvements in medical care and the resultant positive impact on life expectancy over the past few decades, the proportion of the population aged .65 years has seen significant increase, with the very elderly (age .80 years) expressed as a percentage of those aged .65 years almost doubling since 1950 (13.3% in 1950 increasing to 25.3% in 2015). 1 Like most cancers, the probability of acquiring non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) increases with age (0.2% to 0.3% in those aged ,50 years and 1.4% to 1.8% in those aged .69 years). 2 Moreover, recent statistics also suggest an increase in the incidence of NHL, especially among men. 2 Because the mean age at diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is 70 years, 3 there has been a number of studies focusing on the elderly with DLBCL, more so after the introduction of rituximab (R), the monoclonal antibody directed against CD-20 on B cell. 4 However, a majority of patients in these studies were in the age group of 60 to 80 years, 5-7 and the very elderly (age .80 years) were mostly not part of these studies due to their multiple comorbidities, poor performance status, or concerns about chemotherapy-induced toxicities that preclude optimizing therapy. 8-10 Hence, there is a lack of definite consensus regarding treatment of DLBCL in the 801 age group. However, due to the increase in life expectancy and increase in incidence of NHL, especially DLBCL, among octogenarians, there have been a few recent studies, mostly retrospective, dealing with patients in this age group. 11-13 Some of these studies have shown improved survival outcomes when standard therapy with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) is used rather than observation or suboptimal therapy, whereas others showed better survival and tolerability with less toxic non-anthracycline-based therapy or dose reduction in various components of R-CHOP. 14,15 However, there are little data on DLBCL on those aged .90 years. 16