ABSTRACT Male layer-type chickens are usually killed immediately after hatching. Despite the ethical debates and the sharp criticism against this practice, it is still widely applied. One of the possible alternatives for the culling of layer cockerels might be their use for meat production. Except for a small market niche, meat from male layer-type chickens is not currently popular among wider circles of consumers. However, although rather scarce, research on this type of bird shows that in comparison to fast or slow growing broilers, dual purpose, or indigenous breeds, the meat of male layers does not show any disadvantages in regards to sensory characteristics, chemical composition, and fatty acid profile, with its overall acceptability rating equally or even higher.

ABSTRACT The study aimed to compare and assess some of the quality characteristics (morphology, colour of the yolk, total carotenoid content and fatty acid profile) of eggs obtained from hens reared conventionally or in alternative system having access to pasture. Twenty eggs of each rearing system were analysed for the above characteristics. The eggs obtained from the layer reared under the alternative system were significantly heavier than the conventional ones, displayed higher diameters of the albumen and albumen index, as well as increased diameter and weight of the yolk. On the other hand, their shell thickness and Haugh units were lower when compared to the eggs from conventionally reared hens. The colour of the eggs from the alternative system was darker and they had lower values of L* and higher of a* in the yolk, corresponding to the significantly higher content of the total carotenoids in comparison to the eggs obtained from the hens reared conventionally. Furthermore, the eggs from the hens having access to pasture showed clear advantage in the fatty acid profile and the related lipid nutritional indices. In general, the rearing in alternative system reduced considerably the content of C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C16:1n-7 and C18:1n-9, as well as the saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). On the other hand, with the exception of C20:3n-6, the contents of both individual and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were dramatically increased in the eggs from the hens reared in the alternative system. This led to favourably decreased values of n-6/n-3 ratio as well as values of both atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic (TI) indices but augmented ratio between hypo- and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids.

Chronic care in haemodialysis patients usually requires a multi-system approach. Metabolic bone disorders in chronic kidney disease often cause physical disabilities and require new therapeutic strategies to maintain a good quality of life. Percutaneous cement vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty are widely used to treat compressive vertebral fractures but higher rate of comorbidities in renal patients often cause some complications. We present an unusual case of late pulmonary cement embolism in an elderly haemodialysis patient. Curiously, in spite of a large number of vertebral augmentation procedures performed in the world, this is the first report of pulmonary cement embolism in a dialysis patient.

We present a 57-year-old male chronic haemodialysis patient with a giant umbilical hernia. After two months on dialysis, incarceration of the hernia with partial intestinal obstruction occurred, and this led to severe hypoproteinaemia secondary to protein-losing enteropathy, caused by increased lymphatic pressure. These problems were resolved following surgical repair of the hernia. There are few such cases in the literature and none involving a haemodialysis patient