Body Content Research Articles

New Treatment Options for Hyperkalemia in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Hyperkalemia may cause life-threatening cardiac and neuromuscular alterations, and it is associated with high mortality rates. Its treatment includes a multifaceted approach, guided by potassium levels and clinical presentation. In general, treatment of hyperkalemia may be directed towards stabilizing cell membrane potential, promoting transcellular potassium shift and lowering total K+ body content. The latter can be obtained by dialysis, or by increasing potassium elimination by urine or the gastrointestinal tract. Until recently, the only therapeutic option for increasing fecal K+ excretion was represented by the cation-exchanging resin sodium polystyrene sulfonate. However, despite its common use, the efficacy of this drug has been poorly studied in controlled studies, and concerns about its safety have been reported. Interestingly, new drugs, namely patiromer and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate, have been developed to treat hyperkalemia by increasing gastrointestinal potassium elimination. These medications have proved their efficacy and safety in large clinical trials, involving subjects at high risk of hyperkalemia, such as patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of action and the updated data of patiromer and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate, considering that the availability of these new treatment options offers the possibility of improving the management of both acute and chronic hyperkalemia.

Evaluation of Long Sea Snail Hinia reticulata (Gastropod) from the Middle Adriatic Sea as a Possible Alternative for Human Consumption.

In mid Adriatic Sea the common sea snail is the habitual snail eaten, but over the years fishermen started to capture also the long sea snail, a possible alternative for human consumption. This study aims to compare the quality traits of the edible fraction in the common and long sea snails. In this study, common and long sea snail samples were provided by fishermen in November 2018 and March 2019. Total weight (meat and shell), fractions of meat and shell (after having extracted the edible part), fatty acid, elements in meat, and calcium content in shells were determined. Meat quality traits showed high nutritional value without significant differences between the two species. The fatty acid profile showed n3/n6 ratio significantly different both considering the season of sampling (November: 4.1; March: 2.38) and the species of sea snail (common: 4.98; long: 2.86). The long species showed a higher yield in the total body and calcium content concentrations. However, the long sea snail showed 50% lower meat yield compared with the common sea snail. In conclusion, the long sea snail can be used as an alternative to the common sea snail for human consumption.

Cross-calibration Of Two Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry Systems For Body Composition Measurements In Young Adults

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is one of the most accurate methods to measure body composition, and it has been widely used in both clinical and research settings such as the Appendicular Lean Mass (ALM) in sarcopenia. The body composition results on the same client may vary depending on the manufacture, model and software version of the DXA. Therefore, it is important to compare the measurements between different systems in longitudinal research studies and clinical practice. PURPOSE: To properly cross calibrate the body composition measurements between the Prodigy and iDXA in young adults. METHODS: Thirty healthy college students, including ten males (23.7 ± 1.9 years; 171.9 ± 6.7 cm; 81.8 ± 11.4 kg) and twenty females (23.1 ± 1.9 years; 161.8 ± 6.1 cm; 64.9 ± 15.3 kg) participated in the study. Body composition was measured using two DXA systems: Prodigy and iDXA, and analyzed by enCORE version 13 and 17, respectively by the same licensed DXA technician on the same day. Paired sample t-tests and regression analyses were performed to compare the body composition variables between the two systems. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in total body and leg percent fat (%fat), total and leg Fat Mass (FM), and total Bone Free Lean Mass (BFLM) (p > 0.05). However, there were statistically significant differences in total body and leg Bone Mineral Content (BMC) (p = 0.000), arm %fat (p = 0.012), arm FM (p = 0.000), arm and leg BFLM (ALM, p = 0.000) between the two systems (Table 1). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that calibration equations are needed for the appendicular lean mass when comparing body composition between the Prodigy and iDXA in young adults. Further study in older adults is needed for the comparison of sarcopenia assessment using the two models of DXA.Table 1: Comparison of Regional Body Composition Between iDXA and ProdigyBFLM: Bone Free Lean Mass; FM: Fat Mass

Body Composition In Persons With Multiple Sclerosis Vs. Healthy Controls

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the myelin sheath and impedes proper conduction of action potentials through the central nervous system. As a result, persons with MS (PwMS) can experience symptoms of fatigue, muscular weakness, spasticity, and balance or gait issues. Such symptoms may reduce physical activity, negatively affecting body composition and predisposing PwMS to obesity, sarcopenia and osteoporosis. PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to compare the body composition of PwMS and controls using DXA. METHODS: Six males and 13 females with relapsing-remitting MS and 19 Age/Sex/BMI matched healthy controls were recruited for this study. Extended disability status score (EDSS) in PwMS ranged 0 to 6 (x̄=3.1 ± 2.2). DXA scans were used to assess whole body and limb specific contents of fat, muscle and mineral content. Two-way ANOVAs (Group x Sex) with post hoc comparisons were run to assess differences across group and sex. RESULTS: Compared to male controls, MS males had a reduced whole body % lean mass (%LMWB) (60.9 ± 6.3% vs. 74.0 ± 11.0%, p=0.02), %LMARMS (66.7 ± 8.5 vs. 79.0 ± 8.6%, p=0.03), %LMLEGS (61.8 ± 6.2 vs. 75.2 ± 9.9%, p=0.02), % appendicular lean mass (aLM) (28.1 ± 5.1 vs. 35.3 ± 5.8%, p=0.03), and aLM/BMI (90.0 ± 21.10 vs. 115.8 ± 21.9, p=0.04) Similarly, the % body fat (%BF) was higher in MS males (36.7 ± 7.0%) compared to male controls (23.1 ± 11.7% and p=0.02). No between group differences were found for bone mineral content (p>0.05). When collapsed across sex, group differences disappeared in all measures except android fat mass, which was higher in PwMS (35.0 ± 16.0 kg) than controls (23.8 ± 16.3 kg, p=0.04). Interestingly, the Pearson’s r correlation between BMI and BF% was significant for the MS group (r=0.715, p<0.01) but not for the control group (r=0.347, p=0.15). EDSS scores in PwMS did not significantly correlate with any variables (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Expected sex differences in body composition occurred regardless of group. MS males tended to have lower LM and higher %BF than controls, which was not seen in MS females. Significance in MS males may be explained by differences in sample size (n=6) or sex differences in MS symptom or disease progression. It is furthermore unclear to what extent individual differences in physical activity or medication may influence results.

Bioavailable silicon forms in dietary supplements

Silicon (Si) is an element necessary for the proper functioning of the body. It affects cell viability, osteoblast differentiation, blood vessel elasticity, type I collagen synthesis, as well as the condition of the skin, hair, and nails. It is also considered an antiatherosclerotic agent. The silicon content in the human body is 6 – 7 g, and the only absorbable form is orthosilicic acid. The average daily requirement of the body for this element is in the range of 20 to 40 mg, whose diet does not fully provide. In addition, the silicon content in the body decreases with age, so there is a need for its supplementation. There are many liquid, gel, and spray diet supplements available that vary in concentration and silicon compound. The aim of the research was to determine the content of orthosilicic acid in liquid diet supplements. Thirteen preparations were selected for the study, in which concentration of available silicon was determined by a spectrophotometric method. This method was based on reaction in the acidic environment of dissociated silicon with ammonium molybdate. Among the selected products, the highest concentration of available silicon form was obtained for pharmaceuticals composed of choline stabilized orthosilicic acid, which is in the range of 50-2000 ppm. However, its concentration in preparations containing monomethylsilanetriol (MMST) did not exceed 50 ppm. Keywords: chemical sciences, orthosilicic acid, Uv-Vis spectroscopy

Radiological characterization of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) fat by X-ray micro-computed tomography

In fish, the fat content contributes to promoting the nutritional and organoleptic characteristics of the flesh, which is crucial for consumer acceptance. Methods to predict the fat in fish are important in nutritional and physiological research, where body content is traditionally determined by dissection followed by chemical analysis. However, X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) provides three-dimensional information in a non-destructive way. This work aims to characterize radiologically the fat, in situ, in a widely cultivated marine species, gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). To validate the method changes in fat content in a control group (fed) and another group (unfed for 60 days) were assessed. Fish images were acquired on an Albira SPECT/PET/CT preclinical-scanner. Image analysis and measurements were performed using the Carestream Molecular Imaging Albira CT system in conjunction with Pmod and Amide packages. By micro-CT analysis the density values were determined for the whole fish body (− 1,000 to + 2,500 HU, Hounsfield units), and density ranges for the fat in S. aurata were established from − 115 to + 50 HU. As expected, significant differences were found between fed and starved groups at 60 days. The present study confirms the usefulness of high-resolution morphological analysis for evaluating the presence and distribution of fat in this important fish species.

Regulation of metal homeostasis and zinc transporters in early-life stage zebrafish following sublethal waterborne zinc exposure

In the present research, the effects of exposure to a sublethal concentration of zinc (Zn) on metal and ion homeostasis, and the regulation and the localization of various Zn transporters (i.e., the Zrt-Irt Like Protein (ZIP) family of Zn transporters), were investigated in zebrafish (Danio rerio) during early development. Exposure to an elevated level of Zn [4 μM (high) vs. 0.25 μM (control)] from 0 day post-fertilization (dpf) resulted in a significant increase in the whole body content of Zn at 5 dpf. A transient decrease in the whole body calcium (Ca) level was observed in 3 dpf larvae exposed to high Zn. Similarly, whole body nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) contents were also reduced in 3 dpf larvae exposed to high Zn. Importantly, the magnitude of reduction in whole body Ni and Cu contents following Zn exposure was markedly higher than that in Ca content, suggesting that internal Ni and Cu balance were likely more sensitive to Zn exposure in developing zebrafish. Exposure to high Zn altered the mRNA expression levels of specific zip transporters, with an increase in zip1 (at 3 dpf) and zip8 (at 5 dpf), and a decrease in zip4 (at 5 dpf). The expression levels of most zip transporters tended to decrease from 3 dpf to 5 dpf with the exception of zip4 and zip8. Results from in situ hybridization revealed that several zip transporters exhibited distinct spatial distribution (e.g., zip8 in the intestinal tract, zip14 in the pronephric tubules). Overall, our findings suggested that exposure to sublethal concentrations of Zn disrupts the homeostasis of essential metals during early development and that different ZIP transporters may play unique roles in regulating Zn homeostasis in various organs in developing zebrafish.

Oral bisphosphonate treatment in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy on long term glucocorticoid therapy

Osteoporosis is a major problem in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), due to glucocorticoid therapy and muscle weakness. Evidence on which to base optimal prevention and treatment strategies, including bisphosphonate use, in DMD are limited. Our objective was to describe bone health outcomes of oral alendronate treatment in patients with DMD and glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. We retrospectively studied 54 patients treated between 2005 and 2017, and assessed changes in dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) whole body and lumbar spine bone mineral density and content, and lateral distal femur bone mineral density. We also examined vertebral fracture development in a subset with serial spine radiographs. Pre-alendronate DXA Z-score trajectories decreased progressively. Over three years post-alendronate initiation, Z-score trajectories improved (p<0.01) at most sites compared with pre-alendronate trajectories. Height-adjusted Z-score trajectories for lumbar spine bone mineral density (p = 0.01) and whole body bone mineral content (p = 0.0004) also improved. The positive trajectories did not seem to be sustained long term in those treated up to 6 years. Radiographic vertebral findings in 43 patients appeared stable. In conclusion, oral bisphosphonate therapy using alendronate was associated with improvement of DXA bone health indices during the first three years of treatment, and may help mitigate progression of osteoporosis in glucocorticoid-treated patients with DMD.

Partial Substitution of Fishmeal with Plant Protein Source the Soybean Meal in the Diets of Arabian Yellowfin Seabream Acanthopagrus arabicus Juveniles

The present study was designed to assess the alternate environmental friendly source of protein; here we report the suitability of soybean meal as a plant protein source for partial replacement of fishmeal in the diet of Arabian yellowfin seabream Acanthopagrus arabicus; reared in floating net cages. A total of 56 days feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the growth performance, feed utilization, survival, and carcass composition of the juveniles. Triplicate groups (30 fish/cage) of A. arabicus (initial weight 22.61 ± 0.11 g) were stocked in floating net cages (1.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 m). Five semi-purified experimental diets, each containing 42% dietary protein, were prepared where fishmeal was replaced with soybean meal: 0% (control), 20% (SBM20), 40% (SBM40), 60% (SBM60) and 80% (SBM80). Fish were fed twice daily at 7% body weight. The formulated diet was well accepted by the fish, where, 100% of survival was recorded at the end of the experiment. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in final weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) of juvenile Arabian yellowfin seabream fed on SBM20 and SBM40 diets compared to the control diet. However, a decline in growth performance was recorded in fish received SBM60 and SBM80 diets. Poor feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed for fish fed with increasing dietary soybean meal above SBM40. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found in the final whole-body carcass composition of proteins, moisture, and ash. However, the lipid content in the fish body increased significantly (P < 0.05) with an increasing soybean meal and fish oil in the diets. Our results showed that 40% of SBM could substitute fishmeal without jeopardizing the health and growth of Arabian yellowfin seabream.

The impact of chronic exposure to a magnetic field on energy metabolism and locomotion of Blaptica dubia

Purpose: This study deals with a comparative analysis of the effects of chronic exposure to a static magnetic field (SMF) and an extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF MF) in Blaptica dubia nymphs. The outcome of such treatment on insect and fat body mass, glycogen and total lipid content in the fat body and locomotion, as an energy demanding process, were examined.Materials and methods: One-month-old nymphs of B. dubia were exposed to an SMF (110 mT) or ELF MF (50 Hz, 10 mT) for 5 months. Their locomotion was monitored in the ‘open-field’ test for 10 min and expressed as travel distance, time in movement and average speed while in motion. After that, fat body mass and content of its main components (glycogen and total lipids) were determined. Nymph body mass was also estimated after 1 and 5 months of MF treatment.Results: Chronic exposure to the SMF and ELF MF decreased nymph body mass and glycogen content in the fat body but increased all examined parameters of locomotion. In addition, chronic SMF treatment elevated total lipid content in the fat body, while chronic ELF MF treatment reduced fat body mass and total lipid content.Conclusions: These findings indicate that B. dubia nymphs are sensitive to the applied MFs and possess different strategies for fuel usage in response to the SMF and ELF MF in order to satisfy increased energy demands and to overcome stressful conditions.

Effects of Dietary Carbohydrate to Lipid Ratios on Growth Performance, Muscle Fatty Acid Composition, and Intermediary Metabolism in Juvenile Black Seabream (Acanthopagrus schlegelii).

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary carbohydrate to lipid (CHO:L) ratios on growth performance, muscle fatty acid composition, and intermediary metabolism in juvenile black seabream (Acanthopagrus schlegelii). Five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets (48.0% crude protein and 18.0 MJ kg–1 gross energy) were formulated to contain different CHO:L ratios ranging from 0.33 to 3.75. Triplicate groups of 20 fish averaging 0.51 ± 0.01 g were fed with experimental diets twice daily to apparent satiation. The results indicated that final body weight (FBW), percentage weight gain (PWG), specific growth rate (SGR), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) were significantly influenced by the dietary CHO:L ratios (p < 0.05). The highest FBW, PWG, and SGR were observed in fish fed the diet with a CHO:L ratio of 1.36 (p < 0.05). A two-slope broken-line regression analysis based on PWG indicated that the optimal dietary CHO:L is 1.08. Lipid content in the whole body decreased, and glycogen concentration in the liver increased with the increase of dietary CHO:L ratios from 0.33 to 3.75 (p < 0.05). Moreover, there was a positive correlation between muscle fatty acid composition and dietary fatty acid composition. The relative expression levels of genes involved in glucose metabolism, such as gk, pepck, and glut2 were upregulated by increasing the dietary CHO:L ratio. Also, the mRNA expression level of genes related to lipid synthesis, such as fas and accα were significantly upregulated with dietary CHO:L ratios increasing from 0.33 to 3.75. The highest expression of genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation, such as cpt1 and acox1, were observed in fish fed the 1.36 CHO:L ratio diet. The gene expression of Δ6 fatty acyl desaturase (fads2) in the liver significantly increased with increase of dietary CHO:L ratios from 0.33 to 3.75. Fish fed the diet with CHO:L ratios of 2.26 and 3.75 had lower expression levels of elovl5 than those fed the other diets. These results demonstrate that dietary optimal CHO:L ratios could improve PWG and SGR but also influence expression of genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism. Based on the overall results, the optimal dietary CHO:L ratio is 1.08 for black seabream.

Survival Rate, Growth And Chemical Content of Dendronereis pinnaticirris (Polychaeta, Nereidae) In Maintenance With Different Food And Substrate

The worm Dendronereis pinnaticirris is used as feed of shrimp broodstock in a hatchery, mainly because of its availability in the local market, and its nutritional content required for improving gonad maturation and post larvae production. The important economic value of the worm and the increasing demand for feed in shrimp hatcheries have led to an intense exploitation that suppers its population and the sustainability of the whole estuarine ecosystem. The study, which represents the starting point of large-scale production of the polychaete worm by culture in the artificial system, shall be undertaken. Accordingly, a production study using D. pinnaticirris juvenile was carried out under controlled conditions fed with two different feed (feed contains mainly plant protein and animal protein, respectively), and kept in three different substrates (substrate consists of mud and 8.78%, 37.34%, 39.17% sand, respectively). The treatments were arranged according to randomized completely block design in 8 (eight) replicates. The survival rate, body weight increment and growth, oxygen consumption, proximate body chemical, and fatty acid contents were measured. The results showed that growth and oxygen consumption was significantly influenced by a substrate and feed type (P&lt;0.05). Worms on the mud substrate with 39.17% sand, and feed containing vegetable protein showed the highest oxygen consumption. Survival rate and chemical body content were not significantly influenced by the type of substrate and feed (P&lt;0.05). The protein content of the worm was 32.02-43.81%, while fat content was 2.41-9.89%. Twenty different fatty acids were identified in the worm of all treatment groups.

Difference in the Cesium Body Contents of Affected Area Residents Depending on the Evacuation Timepoint Following the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Disaster.

Estimating the internal thyroid dose received by residents involved in the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident has been a challenging task because of the shortage of direct human measurements related to the largest contributing radioisotope to the dose, I. In a previous dose estimation, we used the results of whole-body counter (WBC) measurements targeting Cs and Cs, based on the assumption that these radioisotopes were incorporated at the same time as I in the early phase of the accident. The main purpose of this study was to clarify whether the trace of the early intake remained in the WBC measurements that were started several months after the accident. In the present work, WBC data of 1,639 persons from Namie town, one of the heavily contaminated municipalities, were analyzed together with their evacuation behavior data. The results demonstrated that the cesium detection rate in the WBC results was several times higher in the late evacuees [who evacuated outside the 20-km radius of the FDNPP at 3:00 p.m. (Japanese Local Time) on 12 March or later] compared to the prompt evacuees (who evacuated before 3:00 p.m. on 12 March). Among the adults, the cesium detection rates (and the 90th percentile values of the Cs intake) of the prompt and late evacuees were about 20% (5.4 × 10 Bq) and 60% (1.6 × 10 Bq), respectively. Approximately 20% of the individuals analyzed were categorized as late evacuees. These differences in cesium would be caused by exposure to the radioactive plume in the afternoon on 12 March, which was likely to influence the late evacuees. On the other hand, the intake on 15 March, when the largest release event occurred, was expected to be relatively small for Namie town's residents. In conclusion, the trace of the early intake remained in the WBC measurements, although this would not necessarily be true for all subjects. The results obtained from this study would provide useful information for the reconstruction of the early internal thyroid doses from radioiodine in the future.

Linguistic structures and functions of thesis and dissertation titles in Dentistry

AbstractTitles play an important role in genre analysis. Cross-genre studies show that research paper and thesis titles have distinctive features. However, thesis and dissertation titles in the field of dentistry have thus far received little attention.Objective: To analyze the syntactic structures and their functions in English-language thesis and dissertation titles in dentistry.Methodology: We randomly chose 413 titles of English-language dentistry theses or dissertations presented at universities in 12 countries between January 2000 and June 2019. The resulting corpus of 5,540 running words was then analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively, the two complementary focuses being grammatical structures and their functions.Results: The average title length was 13.4 words. Over half of the titles did not include any punctuation marks. For compound titles, we found that colons, dashes, commas, and question marks were used to separate the different components, colons being the most frequent. Four syntactic structures (nominal phrase, gerund phrase, full-sentence, and prepositional phrase) were identified for single-unit titles. Single-unit nominal phrase titles constituted the most frequent structure in the corpus, followed by compound titles. Four particular rhetorical combinations of compound title components were found to be present throughout the corpus.Conclusions: Titles of dentistry theses and dissertation in English echo the content of the text body and make an important contribution to fulfilling the text’s communicative purposes. Thus, teaching research students about the linguistic features of thesis titles would be beneficial to help them write effective titles and also facilitate assessment by teachers.

Phosphate Transport in Epithelial and Nonepithelial Tissue

Phosphate is an essential nutrient for life and is a critical component of bone formation, a major signaling molecule, and structural component of cell walls. Phosphate is also a component of high-energy compounds (i.e., AMP, ADP, and ATP) and essential for nucleic acid helical structure (i.e., RNA and DNA). Phosphate plays a central role in the process of mineralization, normal serum levels being associated with appropriate bone mineralization, while high and low serum levels are associated with soft tissue calcification. The serum concentration of phosphate and the total body content of phosphate are highly regulated, a process that is accomplished by the coordinated effort of two families of sodium-dependent transporter proteins. The three isoforms of the SLC34 family (SLC34A1-A3) show very restricted tissue expression and regulate intestinal absorption and renal excretion of phosphate. SLC34A2 also regulates the phosphate concentration in multiple lumen fluids including milk, saliva, pancreatic fluid, and surfactant. Both isoforms of the SLC20 family exhibit ubiquitous expression (with some variation as to which one or both are expressed), are regulated by ambient phosphate, and likely serve the phosphate needs of the individual cell. These proteins exhibit similarities to phosphate transporters in nonmammalian organisms. The proteins are nonredundant as mutations in each yield unique clinical presentations. Further research is essential to understand the function, regulation, and coordination of the various phosphate transporters, both the ones described in this review and the phosphate transporters involved in intracellular transport.

Molecular cloning and expression patterns of two small heat shock proteins from Chilo suppressalis (Walker)

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are a very complex protein superfamily that increase insect temperature tolerance. In order to deeply understand the function and role of sHSPs in Chilo suppressalis (Walker), this study isolated and identified two CsHSP genes lacking introns from C. suppressalis, Cshsp23.9 and Cshsp27.3. The cDNA full-length of Cshsp23.9 and Cshsp27.3 were 909 and 1 036 bp encoding 220 and 242 amino acids, respectively. Alignment with homologs and phylogenetic analysis indicated Cshsp23.9 and Cshsp27.3 were two new types of Cshsps in C. suppressalis. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) revealed that Cshsp23.9 had the highest relative expression in hindgut compared with other tissues (head, epidermis, foregut, midgut, fat body, Malpighian tubules, and hemocytes), while Cshsp27.3 expressed the highest in fat body content. When exposed to thermal stress from −11 to 43°C for 2 h, two genes showed different expression patterns. Cshsp23.9 did not respond to low temperature, but could be up-regulated by high temperature and the highest expression temperature was at 36°C. Cshsp27.3 could only be induced by mild temperature, with the highest expression at 15 and 30°C. In conclusion, Cshsp23.9 and Cshsp27.3 existed in different tissues/organs of C. suppressalis, and played different important roles in C. suppressalis to resist temperature stress and regulate physiological activities.

Dietary inclusion effect of yacon, ginger, and blueberry on growth, body composition, and disease resistance of juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) against Vibrio anguillarum

BackgroundTo minimize the use of antibiotics and to obtain a more sustainable fish culture and aquaculture industry, development of alternative natural source of immunostimulant to replace antibiotic in aquafeed is highly needed.ObjectiveDietary inclusion effect of yacon (YC), ginger (GG), and blueberry (BB) on growth, body composition, and disease resistance of black rockfish against Vibrio anguillarum was compared to ethoxyquin (EQ).MethodsFour hundred eighty juvenile (an initial weight of 4.2 g) fish were randomly distributed into 12 of 50 L flow-through tanks (forty fish per tank). Four experimental diets were prepared; the control (Con) diet with 0.01% EQ inclusion, and YC, GG, and BB diets at 1% each additive inclusion. Each additive was included into the experimental diets at the expense of wheat flour. Each diet was assigned to triplicate tanks of fish and hand-fed to satiation twice daily for 8 weeks. At the end of 8-week feeding trial, 20 fish from each tank fish were artificially infected by intraperitoneal injection with 0.1 mL of culture suspension of pathogenic V. anguillarum containing 3.3 × 106 cfu/mL respectively. Fish were monitored for the following 8 days after V. anguillarum infection and dead fish were removed every 6 h for the first 4 days and 12 h for the rest of the study.ResultsWeight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), and feed efficiency ratio (FER) of fish fed the YC diet was higher than those of fish fed all other diets. However, feed consumption, protein efficiency ratio, and protein retention was not affected by dietary additive. Moisture, crude protein, and crude lipid content of the whole body of fish were affected by dietary additive. Analysis of the Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that survival of fish fed the YC, BB, and GG diets was higher than the Con diet.ConclusionOral administration of YC can improve not only weight gain, SGR, and FER of black rockfish, but lower mortality of rockfish at occurrence of V. anguillarum.

Spectrophotometric Determination of Calcium with Dibromo-p-methylsulfonazo

Calcium is a necessary trace element in the human body, and its low or high content in the human body is not appropriate. It is very meaningful to study the level of calcium in the human body and to determine calcium content in blood. As people take calcium through food, the determination of calcium content in certain tea and calcium supplements is of great significance. In this study, a new method for the determination of calcium was established using dibromo-p-methylsulfonazo as a chromogenic agent. In this article, the optimal conditions for the color reaction of Ca2+ with dibromo-p-methylsulfonazo were established. In a hydrochloric acid medium, Ca2+ and dibromo-p-methylsulfonazo form a blue complex. At 624 nm maximum absorption wavelength, the apparent molar absorptivity for the determination of calcium is 3.32 × 104 L·mol−1·cm−1. Beer’s law is applied for 0–0.60 μg/mL. The method has already been used in the determination of calcium in blood serum, whole blood, tea leaf, and calcium fudge with satisfactory results.

Information Activities of the Ukrainian Diaspora in the Czechoslovak Republic (1930-1931)

The article deals with the informational component of the attempt to unite Ukrainian emigration in Czechoslovakia in the period of collision of the old political concepts of the Ukrainian National Republic and the hetmanate with the young nationalist movement of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. The purpose of the article is to find out the nature of information activities of the Ukrainian Diaspora in Czechoslovakia in the period of active attempts of its ideological and political consolidation on a democratic basis in the Union of Ukrainian Emigrant Organizations. An analysis of the content of the press body of this association – the Bulletin Vistnyk – will help to understand the reasons for the defeat of the integration project in the environment of Ukrainian emigration in Czechoslovakia. The chronological boundaries are due to the period of active publishing of the Union. The subject of the study is the Ukrainian diaspora in Czechoslovakia, and the subject matter is its informational activity within the framework of the mentioned edition. The main sources of this article include the materials of the Central State Archives of Foreign Ukrainians, documents of the Central State Archives of higher authorities and governments of Ukraine as well as the articles published in the Tryzub Weekly, Memorandum to the League of Nations. The research implements structural and problematic methods for its analysis. The results suggest that in the Bulletin Vistnyk, the Union of Ukrainian Emigrant Organizations tried to promote the idea of uniting different organizations around a certain goal – the fight for their own statehood.

Applying the Personal and Social Responsibility Model as a School-Wide Project in All Participants: Teachers' Views.

The present study aims to apply a program based on Hellison’s Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility Model (TPSR), traditionally used in Physical Education, to other educational participants and examine the assessment of the teachers who carried it out during the 2018–2019 school year. The program was applied over 8 months of one academic year and during at least 60% of the weekly class hours. Initially, 30 teachers participated, of whom 16 were involved in the interviews carried out, all of them being Secondary Education teachers. We used qualitative methodology through content analysis carried out with ATLAS.ti 7.1.3. The instruments used to collect information were semi-structured recorded group interviews. The conclusion is that the Personal and Social Responsibility Model can be applied to all participants in the curriculum and is adaptable to any content and type of student body. As a basis for future research, we suggest the application of the model by all teachers involved in the same school year and the participation of students’ families.