T30 Group Research Articles

Effects of supplementing cultured Cordyceps militaris mushroom mycelia in the pregnant sow s diet on the health and performance of the mothers and their suckling piglets

Present study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementing cultured Cordyceps mushroom mycelia (CMM) in the diets of pregnant sows on the productivity of the mothers and their suckling piglets during their first week of age. A total of 30 pregnant F1 (Landrace x Yorkshire) sows were randomly allocated to 5 dietary treatments with 6 replicates each: Control (sows fed the basal diet), and T30, T50, T100, and T200, where sows were fed the basal diet supplemented with 30, 50, 100, and 200 g of dried CMM, respectively. The animals were individually housed and fed twice daily. The performance and health status of the sows and their piglets were recorded accordingly. The results showed that the inclusion of CMM in the diets of pregnant and lactating sows affected the performance and health status of both the mothers and their piglets. For the piglets, the total number of piglets born and alive was higher in the T50, T100, and T200 groups compared to the control and T30 groups, but there was no effect on the survival rate at 7 days old. Daily gains per piglet were higher in the T30, T50, and T100 groups compared to T200 (P<0.05). For the sows, daily feed intake was lower in the T30 group compared to the other treatments (P<0.05). The values of gross energy in the milk produced by the sows were higher in the control, T30, T50, and T100 groups compared to T200 (P<0.05). Both the piglets and the sows on diets supplemented with CMM experienced fewer health problems than those on the Control diet (P<0.05). In conclusion, the supplementation of 50 and 100 g of CMM per day in the diets of pregnant and lactating sows improved litter size and health status but did not affect the performance of either the mothers or their piglets.

Enhanced properties of TiO2 nanotubes through α-Fe2O3 surface decoration: Synthesis, characterization, and performance evaluation

Electrochemical anodization, under a constant voltage of 45 V and for 15, 30, and 45 min, was performed to fabricate highly ordered TiO2 nanotubes. Depending on the processing paramters, the diameter of the TiO2 nanotubes was found to be around 95 ± 6 nm, while the thickness of TNT layer exhibited a change with anodizing time, varying from 1 to 4 μm. Subsequent to the anodization α-Fe2O3/TiO2 heterogeneous structure was created by the spin coating of iron precursor based solutions on TiO2 nanotubes. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis were utilized to ascertain the phase structure and morphology of TiO2 nanotubes. The change of optical band gap values depending on the processing parameters was calculated using UV–Vis spectrophotometer data. The photocatalytic performances of the samples, namely the degradation rates and kinetics, were evaluated by examining the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB). The (TC15) sample, obtained by anodizing for 15 min and decorated with α-Fe2O3, exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, with a degradation efficiency of 70 % at the end of 7 h of light exposure. On the other hand, the inhibition percentages of bacterial growth were examined and it was seen that the TC30 sample with the highest value was 88.89 % for E.coli bacteria and 70.57 % for S.aureus. To assess the mechanism of antimicrobial activity, ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) Analysis were perfomed on T30 and TC30 groups and the ROS amount of TC30 was higher than T30. According to the results of the L929 mouse fibroblast cytotoxicity experiment with indirect contact according to ISO 10993-5 standards, all samples showed a successful performance in terms of cell viability. The cell viability of TC15 was higher in comparison to the control group.

Dietary protein requirement of female climbing perch, Anabas testudineus (Bloch, 1792) broodstock

Nutritional components are multifarious amongst different producers, whereas they are just designed for fish farming but not suitable for improving the reproductive performance of brood fish. Climbing perch, Anabas testudineus is one of the candidate species for freshwater aquaculture in Asia. However, there is little knowledge available about the nutrient requirement of A. testudineus broodstock. Therefore, a feeding trial was conducted for 90-days to optimize the dietary protein requirement for reproductive performances of A. testudineus female broodstock. Six iso-energetic (around 400 Kcal digestible energy/100 g), iso-lipidic (8%) and hetero nitrogenous (25–50% crude protein, CP) semi-purified diets namely, 25% CP (T25), 30% CP (T30), 35% CP (T35), 40% CP (T40), 45% CP (T45) and 50% CP (T50) were prepared for feeding the fish of respective group twice daily. Three hundred and sixty (360) adults A. Testudineus (average body weight 18.67 ± 0.09 g) with female and male ratio of 1:1 were randomly distributed in six treatments in triplicate with the stocking density of 20 fish/ tank (500 L water volume) following a completely randomized design. Results indicated that the gonado-somatic index and viscero-somatic index increased significantly (p < 0.05) up to 40% CP then reduced gradually. But intraperitoneal fat content decreased with increasing dietary protein levels. T40 group showed lowest hepato-somatic index. The absolute fecundity was highest (p < 0.05) in 35% dietary protein fed group but found similar (p > 0.05) between T30 and T45 group. Estradiol was significantly lowest (p < 0.05) but highest 17α, 20β di-hydroxy progesterone level were observed in 35% CP fed group. Cortisol was found highest (p < 0.05) in T40, T45andT50groupand lowest in T35 group. Histological observations revealed that the females with higher proportion of vitellogenic oocytes were from 35% to 40% protein-fed groups. After induced spawning, significantly (p < 0.05) higher fecundity of spawning, rate of fertilization and hatching, and survival of larvae were observed in 40% CP fed group. Second-order polynomial regression analysis of fertilization rate (%) and larval survival (%) estimated 39.07–39.21% dietary protein is optimum for gonadal development, oocyte maturation and reproductive performance of female A. testudineus broodstock.

Estimation of the Mechanical Properties of PRF in the Implant Surgery: An Original Research.

In many oral procedures that involve the implants, hair implantations, "Platelet-Rich Fibrin Membrane (PRF)" is commonly applied. The advantages are many. In this study, the mechanical resistance of PRF under resistance pull on a longitudinal axis was assessed and compared. For the current in vitro study, 60 volunteers donated each 10 ml of their blood and hence a total volume of 600 ml of blood was procured that was analyzed for the current study. The total volume was grouped to three groups where they receive three resistance centrifugation forces of "F-200,600,800 m/s²." In each group, 20 samples were tested for each level of the G-resistance. Each group was further divided as two subgroups of different times of wait, where they were centrifuged at baseline time and after a stand of 30 minutes. On universal testing equipment, the PRF membranes were mechanically tensioned in order to determine each membrane's resistance force. These values were compared for any statistical variance using appropriate statistical tools keeping P < 0.05. Any applied force had no statistically significant effect on the centrifugation duration for membrane resistance. When the resistance was applied for the PRP samples immediately after they were procured, no significant variation was seen at all the grades of the centrifugation forces; consequently, the T30 group showed a statistically significant variance for the centrifugation forces applied (P = 0.04), with the highest value when the greatest force was applied. According to the results, the centrifugation waiting period could be determined based on the application requirement. For immediate membrane usage, the centrifugation had no effect on resistance; however, after 30 minutes, a membrane with greater resistance was produced by applying more force.

The digestive enzyme activity, intestinal microbiota and immune-related genes expression of snakehead fish (Channa argus) juveniles affected by dietary cricket (Gryllus testaceus) meal

This study aimed to investigate the potential of using cricket (Gryllus testaceus) meal as the main protein source in fish feed for snakehead fish (Channa argus) juveniles. A 10-week feeding trial was conducted to assess the effects of partial replacement of fishmeal (FM) with cricket meal (CM) on growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, intestinal microbial composition, liver antioxidant capacity, immune response and determine the appropriate replacement FM level with CM in juvenile Channa argus diet. Five isonitrogenous and iso-lipid experimental diets were formulated by replacing 0 %, 15 %, 30 %, 45 % and 60 % of FM with CM, respectively named T0 (control group), T15, T30, T45 and T60 groups. The results demonstrated T45 and T60 showed a significantly decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR) than T0 (P < 0.05). Crude lipid content was significantly higher in T45 and T60 than in T0 (P < 0.05). With increasing dietary CM content, the activities of amylase and lipase were significantly increased in T60 (P < 0.05). At the phylum level, 16S rDNA sequences revealed that Proteobacteria abundance was dominant in all treatments, while Ralstonia abundance had higher significance in T60 than others at the genus level (P < 0.05). The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in liver in T30 and T45 were significantly higher than in T0 (P < 0.05). Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities had a significant increase in fish fed groups except T0 (P < 0.05), while malondialdehyde (MDA) content was significantly lower within T45 and T60 than T0 (P < 0.05). The up-regulated gene expression level (IL-1β, IL-10, and HSP70) and down-regulated expression level (IL-8) were showed in all treatments with CM replacement. HSP90 and Iκ-Bα expression levels were increased and peaked in T30 (P < 0.05). According to the results of the current study, in Channa argus diets, FM replacement with CM can be up to 30 % without compromising growth performance, enzyme activities, antioxidant capacity, intestinal microbiota, and immune response.

PM 7/31 (2) Citrus tristeza virus

<scp>PM</scp> 7/31 (2) Citrus tristeza virus

Densidade de estocagem de tilápia vermelha (Oreochromis sp.) criada em sistema comercial de bioflocos na Colômbia

ABSTRACT Biofloc technology (BFT) has several advantages, such as low water supply requirements and apparent feed conversion ratio (FCR), and high densities. However, there is no information on adequate densities and their effect on the large-scale production of different species. In this study, we determined the effects of the stocking density of monosex red tilapia reared using BFT on the growth performance, water quality parameters, and chemical characteristics of fish on a large scale and under culture conditions in eastern Colombia. In total, six circular tanks (diameter: 14 m, height: 1 m, and capacity: 153 m³) were used in this investigation. Two stocking densities were considered: treatment 1 (T30: 30 fish/m³) and treatment 2 (T40: 40 fish/m³), in triplicate. The water quality parameters of the two treatment densities were within the normal ranges for the species, but dissolved oxygen decreased throughout the production process. The T30 and T40 treatments did not result in significant differences in growth performance. At the end of the trial, the FCRs were 1.6 and 1.7 from T30 and T40, respectively. Fishes raised at a lower density had a similar weight gain; however, their final biomass was not significantly different. BFT did not affect the nutritional characteristics of fish; the percentage of protein (%) in tilapia was 17.81% ±1% and 16.72% ±1% in the T30 and T40 groups, respectively. None of the fish were infected by Salmonella spp. or Vibrio cholerae.

Food, not the photoperiod, entrains the circadian rhythms in the liver of Winstar albino rats

The central oscillator is located in mammals' suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The liver is the non-photic organ and the centre for metabolic activities. Food could be a potential zeitgeber for the liver as the timing of feeding is precise in animals. The present study hypothesized that the food provided at a different time of the day (consistently delay of 6 hours) could lead to the desynchronization of daily rhythms in clock genes in liver tissues. The Winstar albino rats were divided into three groups and were exposed to a daily light-dark cycle (12L:12D; 12h light and 12h dark). The Group 1 (Control group) had food ad libitum, Group 2- second group- 6h food group had daily food availability of 6h (night fed group). In contrast, Group 3- T30 group was provided food for 6 hours but delayed by 6h from the previous day's food timing. After 30 days, animals were sacrificed at six-time points and the expression of clock genes was studied in the liver. Food cycle's effect was observed on body mass, and it was significantly (P &lt; 0.05) reduced in the T30 group. The circadian clock persisted in both food ad libitum and night fed groups but changed in phase and amplitude. However, it lost daily rhythm in clock genes in liver tissues of the T30 group. These results are significant as they suggest that the food's timing is critical for synchronizing the circadian clock in the metabolic center, i.e., the liver.

Effect of temperature on the growth performance, haematological properties and histomorphology of gill, intestine and liver tissues in juvenile butter catfish Ompok bimaculatus

AbstractA 90‐day long indoor aquarium trial was conducted to assess the consequence of temperature on the growth, blood chemistry and histology of gill, intestine and liver tissues of Ompok bimaculatus juveniles. Homogeneous juveniles were randomly stocked into four different treatments of 20, 35 30 and 25℃ (room temperature as control), and these replications were marked as T20, T30, T35 and T25, respectively. Juvenile fish were fed with commercial diets at 5% body weight three consecutive times a day. Fish in T30 showed significantly higher growth performances and a higher percentage of specific growth rate (SGR%) in comparison to the control group in T25 (p &lt; 0.05). However, no significant (p &gt; 0.05) changes in SGR% were reported between T30 and T35 groups. Haematological analyses showed significant (p &lt; 0.05) decreases in haemoglobin (Hb) and white blood cell (WBC) in T20 and T35 compared to control T25. Significantly higher Hb and WBC were observed in T30 among treatments. No significant changes (p &gt; 0.05) in red blood cells (RBC) were observed between T25 and T30, while T20 and T35 showed significantly lower RBC. Histological analyses revealed that the liver and gill tissues were well‐shaped in T30 compared to distinctive pathology in other treatments. Again, the apparent formation of intestinal villi height was highest observed in T30 in comparison to other groups. It is concluded that the highest growth performance and physiological development of butter catfish would be obtained at 30℃ rearing temperatures.

Effects of different suboptimal dietary protein levels on growth, nutrient utilization and physio‐metabolic status of Anabas testudineus fingerlings in inland saline water

A 60-day feeding trial was conducted to illustrate the effect of suboptimal crude protein (CP) levels on growth and physio-metabolic status of Anabas testudineus fingerlings reared in inland saline water (ISW) at 8 g/L salinity. Six isoenergetic (16 MJ/kg) and isolipidic (60 g/kg) diets with 240 (T24), 260 (T26), 280 (T28), 300 (T30), 320 (T32) and 340 (T34) g suboptimal CP/kg diet were formulated. Weight gain (%) and specific growth rate were significantly higher (p < .05) in T32 and T34 groups. Feed conversion ratio was significantly lower (p < .05) in T30 and T32 group than the other groups. The protein utilizing efficiency was significantly (p < .05) decreased beyond 320 g CP/kg diet. The protease activity was significantly increased (p < .05) up to 320 g CP/kg diet, whereas amylase activity was significantly higher (p < .05) in 240–260 g CP/kg diets. The transaminase enzyme activities were significantly higher (p < .05), and energy demanding enzymes were significantly lower (p < .05) in 300–340 g CP/kg diets. Fish of T24 and T26 groups had lowest (p < .05) glycogen, erythrocyte count and total protein with highest (p < .05) glucose and antioxidant enzyme activities. In conclusion, feeding 320 g CP/kg diet is recommended for cost-effective growth of A. testudineus reared in ISW at 8 g/L salinity.

Metabolomic Profiling in Response to an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Reveals Pathways Associated With Obesity and Insulin Resistance During the Pubertal Transition

Abstract Objectives To reveal alterations in metabolic pathways in response to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) underlying the development of insulin resistance during the pubertal transition. Methods Participants were recruited as healthy controls (HC, n = 55, aged 8.3–18.0 years, BMI percentile 5–85%) and overweight and obese individuals (OVOB, n = 228, aged 8.1–17.9 years, BMI percentile ≥ 85%). Participants were grouped based on their peak insulin response to the OGTT, stratified by peak at t30 (Group 1, n = 163), t60 (Group 2, n = 75), and t120 minutes (Group 3, n = 44). Untargeted metabolomics profiled 267 annotated metabolites and &amp;gt; 3000 unannotated features in plasma at t0 and t60 minutes. Regression classified changes in metabolites across the time-course, assessing the influence of BMI and insulin response (FDR &amp;lt; 0.05). The connectivity of the metabolome was determined using differential network enrichment analysis (DNEA), stratified by insulin response group. Results At fasting, 32% of the metabolites differed between HC and OVOB, including elevated kynurenine, leucine/isoleucine, methionine, tyrosine, short-chain acylcarnitines, and diacylglycerols in OVOB. At t60, only 4% of the metabolites differed between HC and OVOB participants, suggesting a “normalization” of the metabolome, with exceptions of acylcarnitines and FA oxidation (FAO) intermediates. Although no metabolites differed significantly between insulin response group, differential subnetworks were observed, including increased connectivity between FA and FAO intermediates in Group 1 at t60, suggesting differential regulation in post-prandial FAs. Conclusions Profiling the metabolome response to an OGTT may highlight metabolic dysfunction prior to type 2 diabetes and will be used in future longitudinal analyses predicting insulin resistance trajectory. Funding Sources The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the National Institutes of Health

Raman spectroscopy is sensitive to biochemical changes related to various cartilage injuries

AbstractRaman spectroscopy is promising in vivo tool in various biomedical applications; moreover, in recent years, its use for characterizing articular cartilage degeneration has been developing. It has also shown potential for scoring the severity of cartilage lesions, which could be useful in determining the optimal treatment strategy during cartilage repair surgery. However, the effect of different cartilage injury types on Raman spectra is unknown. This study aims to investigate the potential of Raman spectroscopy for detecting changes in cartilage due to different injury types. Artificial injuries were induced in cartilage samples using established mechanical and enzymatic approaches to mimic trauma‐induced and natural degeneration. Mechanical damage was induced using surface abrasion (ABR, n = 12) or impact loading (IMP, n = 12), while enzymatic damage was induced using three different treatments: 30 min trypsin digestion (T30, n = 12), 90 min collagenase digestion (C90, n = 12), and 24 h collagenase digestion (C24, n = 12). Raman spectra were obtained from all specimens, and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA) was used to distinguish cartilage injury types from their respective controls. PLS‐DA cross‐validation accuracies were higher for C24 (88%) and IMP (79%) than for C90 (67%), T30 (63%), and ABR (58%) groups. This study indicates that Raman spectroscopy, combined with multivariate analysis, can discern different cartilage injury types. This knowledge could be useful in clinical decision‐making, for example, selecting the optimal treatment remedy during cartilage repair surgery.

Influence of inclusion of pigeon pea ( Cajanus cajan ) leafmeal on growth, physio‐metabolic and immune parameters, and expression of IGF‐1, IGF‐1R and IGFBP‐1 genes in Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822) fingerlings

A feeding trial was conducted with inclusion levels of Cajanus cajan leafmeal (CCLM) in the diet of Labeo rohita to study the growth, haematological indices, digestive enzyme, physio-metabolic changes and molecular expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1), insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) genes. Four practical diets with CCLM, control, T20 (20%), T30 (30%) and T40 (40%) were prepared. Weight gain%, SGR, FER and PER were significantly (p < 0.05) higher when 30% de-oiled rice bran (DORB) was replaced by CCLM whereas the treatment group 40% registered with lower FCR value. The protease and amylase activities were higher in the T30 group. T20 showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) hepatic and muscular lactate dehydrogenase and serum glucose was also higher, whereas, WBC content was found significantly (p < 0.05) higher in control. The hepatic IGF-1 gene expression was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in T40 followed by the T30 group but the weight gain was not significantly (p > 0.05) higher in T30 from the T40 group. Results reveal that the response of IGF-1, IGF-1R and IGFBP-1 genes was complementary to the biological growth parameters and hence were used as an indicator to evaluating growth. The study also demonstrates that CCLM can replace 100% DORB in the diet of L. rohita without any antinutritional or adverse growth effects.

Feeding graded levels of protein to Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) juveniles reared in inland saline water: Effects on growth and gene expression of IGF[sbnd]I, IGF-IR and IGF-BPI

A 60-day feeding trial was conducted on Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) juveniles in inland saline water (ISW) of 10 ppt salinity. Seven isoenergetic (400 kcal DE/100 g), isolipidic (6%) and hetero‑nitrogenous (20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50% CP) experimental diets were formulated and prepared using purified ingredients. Three hundred and fifteen GIFT juveniles (average body weight 2.68 ± 0.01 g) were distributed in seven experimental groups viz., T20 (20% CP), T25 (25% CP), T30 (30% CP), T35 (35% CP), T40 (40% CP), T45 (45% CP) and T50 (50% CP) in triplicates following a completely randomized design (CRD) with the stocking density of 15 fish/tank (92 cm diameter X 45 cm height) with 200 l water volume. Fishes of different experimental groups were fed with respective experimental diets thrice daily at satiation level. Results indicated that dietary crude protein has significant (p < .05) overall, linear and also quadratic effect on final body weight, percent weight gain (WG%) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) with higher and lower value in T35, T40, T45 and T50 groups, respectively. The protein efficiency ratio (PER) and apparent net protein utilisation (ANPU%) values of fish were decreased with the increasing dietary CP level. The whole body crude protein content was affected linearly as well as quadratically (p < .05) with higher value in T30, T35 and T40 groups, whereas whole body ether extract content of the fish were significantly (p < .05) decreased with the increasing the dietary CP level. Among digestive enzymes, protease and amylase activities were significantly (p < .05) affected due to dietary crude protein linearly as well as quadratically. Though, the expression of insulin like growth factor binding protein I (IGF-BPI) did not show any defined trend, the expression of insulin like growth factor I (IGFI) and Insulin like growth factor I receptor (IGFIR) were highly correlated with WG% (r = 0.92 and r = 0.97, respectively). The expression of IGFIR was also correlated with IGF-I expression (r = 0.93). According to broken-line and second-order polynomial regression analysis in relation to WG% and expression of hepatic IGF-I gene, the optimum dietary crude protein levels of GIFT juveniles reared in inland saline water of 10 ppt salinity were found to be 37.37, 37.72, 40.92 and 38% crude protein with isoenergetic of 400 kcal DE/100 g diet, respectively.

Analysis of World Championship Swimmers Using a Performance Progression Model.

PurposeThe primary aim was to create a performance progression model of elite competitors in the World Swimming Championships from 2006 to 2017 for all strokes and distances. Secondly, to identify the influence of annual ratios of progression, ages of peak performance and junior status on success in senior competitions.MethodsData regarding the participants of senior and junior World Championships (WCs) between 2006 and 2017 were obtained from FINA. The final filtered database, after removing those swimmers who just participated in junior WCs, included 4076. Statistical models were used to examine differences between the top senior swimmers (the top 30% best performances; T30) and lower level swimmers (the bottom 70% performances; L70) for minimum age (MA), progress (P) and best junior time (BJ). In order to identify the variables that contribute to reach the T30 group, a logistic regression (LR), stepwise LR and decision tree were applied. To analyze the effect of each variable separately, a simple LR (gross odds ratio) was performed. Ratio probabilities (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each variable.ResultsSwimmer’s BJ and P were higher in the T30 group (p < 0.000). The decision tree showed the greatest explanatory capacity for BJ, followed by P. The MA had a very low explanatory capacity and was not significant in the LR.ConclusionSwimmers with exceptional junior performance times, or have a high rate of progress are more likely to be successful at the senior WCs.

Growth, osmoregulatory response, adenine nucleotide contents, and liver transcriptome analysis of steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) under different salinity acclimation methods

Chinese researchers have been working salmon mariculture far offshore in the Yellow sea, and steelhead trout is one of the popular Salmonidae. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different salinity acclimation methods on the growth, osmoregulation, energy balance, and liver transcriptome of steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Fish (initial weight, 394.50 g) were reared for 40 days after undergoing salinity acclimation at three rates: an abrupt increase in salinity from zero to 30 ppt (T30); an abrupt increase in salinity to 14 ppt, followed by a daily increase of six ppt (T6) or two ppt (T2), until reaching 30 ppt; and no salinity exposure (control group, T0). Subsequently, serum was collected to determine osmolality, iron concentration, Na+-K+-ATP (NKA) and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATP (CMA) activity; muscle and gill samples were collected for the determination of adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP); liver transcriptome was compared between the T0 and T2 groups. The final weight, specific growth rate, food conversion efficiency, and the ATP content of fish in the T2 group were significantly higher than those in the other groups. However, the serum osmolality, serum ion concentration, and gill NKA and CMA activity in the T2 group was significantly lower than that in the T6 and T30 groups. A total of 53,679 unigenes were produced, and 1438 differently expressed genes were selected by DESeq. Among them, 587 genes were up-regulated, while 581 were down-regulated. These differential genes were mainly related to the function of metabolites and ions transportation, energy metabolism, signal transduction, immune responses, and structural assembly. The results indicate that steelhead trout with a weight of approximately 400 g is suitable for mariculture, and T2 was the best transition method for salinity acclimation.

Preoperative external nasal compression: does it decrease emergence agitation after nasal surgery?

Background Emergence agitation after nasal surgeries in adults is common. Acute postoperative nasal obstruction with nasal packing is an important factor in developing agitation after nasal surgeries. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of preoperative nasal obstruction by means of external nasal compression on the incidence of emergence agitation after nasal surgeries. Methods Sixty patients of American Society of Anesthesiologists I or II between 20 and 45 years of age who were scheduled for nasal surgery were randomly assigned into three equal groups: the control (C) group, the T10 group, in which nasal compression was carried out for 10 min, and the T30 group, in which nasal compression was carried out for 30 min preoperatively. All patients received the same anesthetic technique. The incidence of agitation, and recovery characteristics were evaluated during emergence. Patient satisfaction was evaluated 24 h after surgery. Results There was a significantly lower incidence of emergence agitation and fentanyl consumption during the emergence period in the T30 group. Moreover, patient satisfaction with recovery was significantly higher in the T30 group. Conclusion Elective preoperative external nasal obstruction may decrease the incidence of emergence agitation and improve patient satisfaction with recovery after nasal surgery.

Double-strand DNA breaks and repair response in human immature oocytes and their relevance to meiotic resumption.

Only 50-60 % of immature human oocytes attain the mature stage in vitro. Such a deficiency may be a reflection of inadequate conditions of in vitro maturation (IVM) or a manifestation of intrinsic oocyte defects. In the present study, we explored the possibility that the DNA of immature oocytes may be damaged and that such a condition, or inability to trigger a repair action, is associated to germinal vesicle (GV) arrest. Immature oocytes (GV-stage oocytes) were obtained from women undergoing stimulated (Stim-C) or IVM (IVM-C) cycles. GV oocytes obtained from stimulated cycles were fixed for successive analysis either after recovery (T0) or following 30 h (T30) of culture if still arrested at the GV stage. Oocytes retrieved in IVM cycles were used only if they were found arrested at the GV stage after 30 h (T30) of culture. All oocytes were fixed and stained to detect chromatin and actin. They were also assessed for positivity to γH2AX and Rad51, markers revealing the presence of double-strand DNA breaks and the activation of a DNA repair response, respectively. Labelled oocytes were analysed using a Leica TCS SP2 laser scanning confocal microscope. In Stim-C oocytes, γH2AX positivity was 47.5 and 81.5 % in the T0 and T30 groups, respectively (P = 0.003), while γH2AX-positive oocytes were 58.3 % in the IVM-C T30 group (Stim-C T0 vs. IVM-C T30, P = 0.178; Stim-C T30 vs. IVM-C T30, P = 0.035). Positivity for nuclear staining to Rad51 occurred in 42.1 and 74.1 % of Stim-C in the T0 and T30 subgroups, respectively (T = 0.006), while 66.7 % of IVM-C T30 oocytes resulted positive for a DNA repair response (Stim-C T0 vs. IVM-C T30, P = 0.010; Stim-C T30 vs. IVM-C T30, P = 0.345). The present data document the existence of double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) in human immature oocytes. Also, they are consistent with the hypothesis that insults to DNA integrity may be an important factor affecting meiotic resumption.

Triheptanoin Alleviates Ventricular Hypertrophy and Improves Myocardial Glucose Oxidation in Rats With Pressure Overload

ObjectiveCardiac hypertrophy is characterized by changes in substrate utilization and activity of the Krebs cycle. We assessed the effects of triheptanoin, an odd-chain fat that might support the Krebs cycle, on cardiac metabolism and function in a model of cardiac hypertrophy. Methods and ResultsRats were subjected to aortic banding (AoB) to induce pressure overload (PO). Starting at 1 week after AoB, rats were blindly fed a control diet or a special diet containing triheptanoin at 7% (T7 group) or 30% (T30 group) of total energy value. Six weeks after AoB, echocardiography revealed attenuated hypertrophy and improved diastolic function of the left ventricle. Isolated working heart perfusion showed similar cardiac power, fatty acid oxidation, substrate preference, and insulin response among groups. However, cardiac glucose oxidation (GO) was increased in the T30 group compared with the T7 and control groups. Blood levels of the odd-chain ketone body beta-hydroxypentanoate confirmed adequate bioavailability of triheptanoin. Importantly, they were directly proportional to cardiac GO. ConclusionsTreatment with triheptanoin-enriched diet reduces ventricular hypertrophy and improves diastolic function in rats with PO, which is associated with enhanced cardiac GO. The results suggest targeting supplementation of the Krebs cycle to approach ventricular and metabolic remodeling in cardiac hypertrophy.

Iron metabolism and its relationship to anemia and immune system in Trypanosoma evansi infected rats

The aim of this study was to evaluate biochemical parameters of iron metabolism in rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi. To this end, 20 rats (Wistar) were intraperitoneally inoculated with blood containing trypomastigotes 10(6) (Group T) and 12 animals were used as negative control (Group C) and received saline (0.2 mL) through same route. Blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture on day 5 (C5, T5) and 30 (C30, T30) post-inoculation (pi) to perform complete blood count and determination of serum iron, transferrin, ferritin, total and latent iron fixation capacity, transferrin saturation and prohepcidin concentration. Also, bone marrow samples were collected, to perform Pearls staining reaction. Levels of iron, total and latent iron binding capacity and prohepcidin concentration were lower (P<0.05) in infected rats (T5 and T30 groups) compared to controls. On the other hand, levels of transferrin and ferritin were higher when compared to controls (P<0.05). The transferrin saturation increased on day 5 pi, but decreased on day 30 pi. The Pearls reaction showed a higher accumulation of iron in the bone marrow of infected animals in day 5 pi (P<0.01). Infection with T. evansi in rats caused anemia and changes in iron metabolism associated to the peaks of parasitemia. These results suggest that changes in iron metabolism may be related to the host immune response to infection and anemic status of infected animals.