Thirteenth Weeks Research Articles

Efectos de la dieta alta en calorías y el ejercicio físico en el pez cebra (Danio rerio)

Zebrafish are becoming a valid model for investigating obesity and its associated disorders within a scientific context. The comprehension of the metabolic parameters linked to heightened body mass, adiposity, and energy expenditure stands as an indispensable endeavor in unraveling metabolic requisites among vertebrates. In this particular investigation, a cohort of 48 zebrafish specimens was scrutinized to determine the impact of physical exercise when subjected to a hypercaloric diet. The subjects were categorized into four distinct groups, each group respectively assigned to maintenance diets (GM, n=12, and GMex, n=12) or hypercaloric diets (GH, n=12, and GHex, n=12), with or without concurrent engagement in physical exercise. Applying a one-way ANOVA, with a significance level of P ≤ 0.05, the results revealed noteworthy findings. Among the GMex group, regarding body mass, a statistically significant variance was observed during the initial week (0.30g ± 0.10). This disparity demonstrated a reduction of 30.83% in the subsequent week, 33.59% in the fourth week, and 40.01% in the sixth week. Similarly, within the GH group, the analysis of variance unveiled significant deviations in body mass (in grams) from the inception of the study (0.32g ± 0.07), in comparison to measurements from the sixth through the thirteenth weeks. The GHex group exhibited significant differences in body mass between the first week (0.27g ± 0.08) and the subsequent weeks, extending until the thirteenth week. Furthermore, discernible variations in the length (in centimeters) of the zebrafish specimens were recorded, with statistical significance observed from the ninth (3.29cm ± 0.33) to the thirteenth weeks (3.61cm ± 0.33). The implementation of a hypercaloric diet yielded an augmentation in body mass. Additionally, the combination of this dietary regimen with physical exercise further contributed to an augmentation in the length of the zebrafish specimens. Collectively, the proposed model exhibited the capability to induce discernible metabolic effects, thereby enhancing our understanding of the intricate interplay between diet, exercise, and metabolic dynamics.

Effect of Adding Choline Chloride to the Diet in Milk Production of Holstein Cows

This study aimed to show the effect of adding choline chloride to the feed on milk production during the summer in central Iraq. This study was conducted at Al-Khalis cows station in Diyala Governorate during the period from 21/6 to 21/9/2022, where 25 Holstein cows between the ages of 3-5 years used, the cows were divided into five treatments, so that treatment T1 represents the control treatment (without adding Choline chloride), while treatments T2 and T3 add untreated and formaldehyde-treated choline chloride, respectively, to the concentrated feed with an amount of 35 g /cow /day, T4 and T5 add untreated and formaldehyde-treated Choline chloride, respectively, with an amount of 70 g /cow /day, It is noted from the results that there is a significant effect of the treatment of adding Choline chloride treated with formaldehyde T3 during the ninth and thirteenth weeks in the daily milk. In the ninth week, the average milk production was 14.50 kg / cow/day compared to 9.88 kg/cow/day in the control treatment, and the rest of the treatments were T4 and T5 were 11.25 and 10.00 kg/cow/ day respectively. In the thirteenth week milk yield was 12.50 kg/cow/day compared to 7.20 kg/cow/day in the comparison treatment, and the rest of the treatments T2, T4, and T5 were 8.75, 8.50, and 8.60 kg/cow/day, respectively. While the monthly and total milk production and the amount of fat and protein in milk for cows, there were no significant differences between the treatments, we conclude from the current experiment that adding Choline chloride treated with formaldehyde in an amount of 35 g / cow/day to the feed increases the daily milk production in some weeks for this experiment in the season Summer when the average Temperature Humidity Index for this season is 79 and cows are under heat stress.

Fertility and hatchability of eggs and growth performance of mini- incubator hatched indigenous chicken in rural areas of Bangladesh

A study was conducted to investigate the performance of mini-hatchery of Indigenous chicken set under four villages of Jhenaigati upazilla of Sherpur district in Bangladesh. A total of 1070 eggs from Indigenous chicken were collected in 4 batches and 628 chicks were hatched artificially. Data were recorded on fertility, hatchability, body weight of chicks from week 1 (BWWK1) to week 17 (BWWK17). Least square means were obtained using SAS GLM and mean comparisons were performed with Duncan’s MultipleRange Test. Fertility (%), hatchability (%) and mortality (%) of indigenous chicken eggs were 70.81, 77.52, 19.63, respectively. Comparable fertility and hatchability of Indigenous chicken eggs were found in this study. Body weight of male birds at third, fifth, seventh, eighth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth weeks were significantly higher than females as expected. Male birds were found heavier than the female birds in this study and artificially hatched birds grew better up to 11 weeks of age. The coal brooding system was superior to electric and natural brooding. Hand mixed feed gave better growth of birds than commercial feed and scavenging feed resources. Better growth of farm 2 was observed and replication of management system of farm 2 could be advised for other farmers to get a better growth. Batch, farm, brooding system and feeding system were found to be contributed to significant (P Tropical Agricultural Research Vol. 26 (3): 528 – 536 (2015)

Efeitos do ultra-som terapêutico sobre o crescimento longitudinal do fêmur e da tíbia em ratos

OBJETIVO: Estudar efeitos do ultra-som terapêutico sobre o crescimento do fêmur e da tíbia, em ratos jovens. MÉTODO: Ratus norvegicus com quatro semanas de vida, machos, totalizando 115 animais, divididos em quatro grupos, foram submetidos ao ultra-som terapêutico (0,8 MHz, cabeçote fixo, pulso contínuo, por dez minutos, durante dez dias), na face medial do joelho direito, nas potências de 0,0 W/cm2 (grupo controle), 0,5 W/cm2 (grupo G2), 1,0 W/cm2 (grupo G3), e 1,5 W/cm2 (grupo G4). Lâminas histológicas da epífise, placa de crescimento e metáfise e as medidas dos comprimentos do fêmur e da tíbia foram estudadas na sexta, décima terceira e vigésima sexta semanas de vida. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância - fatorial inteiramente aleatorizado. RESULTADO: Nenhuma alteração estatística do crescimento ósseo foi estabelecida entre quaisquer dos três grupos tratados e o grupo controle. Entretanto, alterações sugestivas de diminuição do crescimento do fêmur e da tíbia de G4 em relação a G2 e G3, foram evidenciadas. No grupo G4 alterações histopatológicas como necroses celulares e neoformação óssea, pós-necrose, foram encontradas. CONCLUSÃO: Quando comparados os grupos tratados com o grupo controle, não há evidência estatística de estímulo ou inibição ao crescimento ósseo pela aplicação do ultra-som terapêutico. Nível de Evidência: Nível II, estudo coorte transversal.

Localization of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase throughout gestation in human placenta.

17 beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17 beta-HSD) is the enzyme responsible for the formation of all sex steroids in gonadal as well as extragonadal tissues. To obtain more information about the age-specific expression of 17 beta-HSD in the human placenta, we have localized this enzyme by immunocytochemistry at the light microscopic level at different periods of gestation. In the 7- and 9-week-old placenta, immunostaining was detected exclusively in the cytoplasm of the syncytiotrophoblast. Between the tenth and thirteenth weeks of gestation, immunolabeling was also observed in the cytoplasm of the cytotrophoblastic cells, suggesting that these cells could be transiently involved in the biosynthesis of sex steroids. Interestingly, between the fourteenth and twenty-fifth weeks of gestation, 17 beta-HSD was observed in both the cytoplasm and nucleus of the syncytiotrophoblast. The reaction product was much more intense in nuclei than in cytoplasm. During the last trimester of gestation, strong immunocytochemical staining was observed in all the nuclei of the syncytiotrophoblast, the cytoplasm being unstained. The meaning of this nuclear staining for 17 beta-HSD is still unclear and remains to be extensively investigated.

Sex ratio of fetuses during the second trimester of gestation.

The authors have investigated the sex ratio of fetuses between the thirteenth and twenty-fourth menstrual weeks. The study material, consisting of 749 fetuses, was obtained through induced second trimester abortions. The sex ratio of the 749 specimens was 109. The ratio was 129 between the thirteenth and sixteenth weeks, 105.8 between the seventeenth and twentieth weeks, and 94 between the twenty-first and twenty-fourth weeks of pregnancy. The overall ratio was 112 among Caucasian and 107 among both Black and Central American populations.

In vivo effects of nitrogen dioxide on the blood nitrate level and the Na +, K +-ATPase activity of red blood cells of rats

Male Wistar rats were exposed to 0.4, 1.2 and 4.0 ppm NO 2 for 13 weeks to examine the effects of NO 2 on the blood nitrate concentration and the Na +, K +-ATPase activity of red blood cells. Exposures to 1.2 and 4.0 ppm NO 2 caused an elevation of the blood nitrate level at the first, third and eighth week. The maximum concentration attained was 148% ( P < 0.001, at the third week) and 201% ( P < 0.001, at the eight week) of the controls at 1.2 and 4.0 ppm NO 2, respectively. On the other hand, the nitrate concentration was decreased to the control level at the second, fourth and thirteenth weeks. 0.4 ppm NO 2 caused a progressive but slight increase in the blood nitrate concentration from the third week and reached the maximum (122% of the control, P < 0.001) at the eighth week. The Na + ,K +-ATPase activity decreased slightly from the first week upon exposure to 4.0 ppm NO 2 and reached the minimum (72% of the control, P < 0.05) at the third week. Subsequently, the activity was increased to 159% ( P < 0.001) of the control at the eighth week. Exposure to 0.4 and 1.2 ppm NO 2 caused fundamentally similar but less significant alterations of the Na +,K +-ATPase activity.

The fungal succession on decomposing sugar cane bagasse

Nine species of fungi were isolated from the fungal succession on bagasse; Rhizopus microsporus, Mucor pusilius, Aspergillus fumigatus, A. niger, A. terreus, A. flavus, Penicillium sp., Trichoderma longibrachiatum and an agaric. The commonest species were A. fumigatus and A. terreus which were present throughout the 20 weeks of study. Maximum colony counts were recorded during the sixth to the thirteenth weeks of the succession. During the succession pH of the bagasse changed from acidic to neutral and finally became slightly alkaline, the moisture content gradually dropped and maximum temperature reached 50°C. Pectin was utilized by all nine bagasse fungi while cellulose was utilized by all except R. microsporus and M. pusilius . Xylan was utilized by all excepting R. microsporus , while αconidendrin was utilized only by A. niger .