Predictive value of definitely abnormal general movements in the general population.

Aim: Definitely abnormal general movements in populations of high-risk infants predict serious neurodevelopmental impairment. This study aimed to assess predictive values of definitely abnormal general movements at 3 months for serious neurodevelopmental impairment in a representative sample of the general population.

Method: A prospective cohort study of 455 3-month-old infants was performed (241 females, 214 males; mean birthweight 3452g, SD 604g; mean gestational age 39.

Prevalence of abnormal general movements in three-month-old infants.

Background: The quality of general movements (GMs) is a sensitive tool to measure neurodevelopmental condition in early infancy. No information is available on prevalence rates of abnormal GMs in the general population.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of abnormal GMs in the general population of three-month-old infants and to evaluate the association of abnormal GM quality with medical and social risk factors.

Antagonistic effect of electromagnetic field exposure on coccidiosis infection in broiler chickens.

The hypothesis tested was that exposure of broiler chickens to an electromagnetic field (EMF) may reduce the signs of coccidiosis infection, based on recent insights into immunology. The experiment had a 2 x 2 factorial design. An uninfected and an infected group did not receive further treatment, whereas the other uninfected and infected groups were subjected to EMF treatment.

Lowering dietary phosphorus concentrations reduces kidney calcification, but does not adversely affect growth, mineral metabolism, and bone development in growing rabbits.

New Zealand White rabbits were used to investigate the influence of increasing dietary P concentrations on growth performance, mineral balance, kidney calcification and bone development. The minimum dietary P requirement of 0.22 % (National Research Council) is usually exceeded in commercial natural-ingredient chows, leading to undesirable kidney calcifications.

Meal feeding and leucine utilization in pregnant rats.

During pregnancy a higher amino acid requirement may be expected, but the increase in food intake does not match the increased growth rate during pregnancy. It is hypothesized that amino acid utilization can be increased during both fasting and feeding in order to account for the increased requirement. Therefore mature female rats (20 weeks old) were investigated before and at day 18 of pregnancy.