Effect of extrusion on the nutritional value of peas (Pisum sativum), chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) and faba beans (Vicia faba) and inclusion in feeds for European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata)

The current general economic and food crises have generated an unsettled future for food and feed production and prices in general. Increasing demand, prices and fluctuations in supply in world markets for fishmeal, fish oil, soybean meal, maize and wheat meal emphasize the need to reduce the dependence of the fish feed industry on these ingredients by increasing choices among a wider range of raw materials. Legume seed such as peas, chickpeas and faba beans are promising ingredients for aquafeeds due to their high protein compared to cereals but also for their energy content. The objective of the present study was to investigate the use of these legumes in both high and low inclusion level in diets for the two main species farmed in the Mediterranean countries namely, European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) and gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.). In Chapter 3 the effects of different processing conditions were examined on whole seed flours of tested ingredients with respect to both nutritional and antinutritional factors and physical characteristics of the experimental diet pellets including high and low levels of each legume. Extrusion of raw material resulted in a clear reduction in trypsin inhibitors (TI) with chickpeas showing a decrease of up to 90% and complete inactivation for wheat flour, while for peas and faba beans reduction was less than 50% in most cases. Extrusion processing was less effective in the reduction of phytic acid and total tannins, occasionally reaching 22% and 18% respectively. Oligosaccharides and total NSP were not drastically affected by processing, however faba bean NSP showed greater reduction. A redistribution of soluble and insoluble NSP fractions was noted for chickpea and pea flours after extrusion. Physical characteristics of the pellets were not negatively affected for any of the tested diets. In Experiment I the effects of total or partial wheat substitution by legumes were investigated on nutrient digestibility, gastrointestinal evacuation rate and serum glucose response of European seabass. Use of legumes in seabass and seabream diets resulted in an overall increase in gastrointestinal evacuation time and a delay in glucose load. Specifically, gastric evacuation time was greatly delayed when seabass was fed a diet with high levels (30%) of chickpeas, while foregut evacuation time was mostly delayed by the diet including a high level (30%) of faba beans. In addition, glucose levels in seabass serum were also affected by the type of carbohydrates ingested with wheat starch showing more rapid increase and decrease of glucose compared to fish fed pea and chickpea diets, while faba bean starch resulted in a lower glucose peak. In Experiment II growth, digestibility, hematological parameters, histological effects and fillet organoleptic characteristics and the interaction between starch inclusion level (8% and 16% or 17% and 35% of legumes respectively) and legume type were estimated when tested legumes replaced wheat in European seabass diets. Digestibility coefficients were satisfactory for all nutrients (>93%) while legume diets at a low level had beneficial effects on growth parameters when compared to the control diet, with chickpeas showing a significant improvement in SGR (P<0.05). High level legume diets did not result in any negative effect on growth. HSI was increased with increasing starch/legume inclusion in the feed and serum glucose also increased for fish fed high levels of faba beans and chickpeas. Carcass proximate composition was not affected by replacement of wheat in the diets, excluding the increase of fat content in fish fed chickpeas. Sensory analysis showed no differences between fish fed the control and high legume inclusion diets. Lastly in Experiment III growth, hematological parameters, histological effects and the interaction between starch inclusion level (low and high) and legume type were evaluated when tested legumes were included in gilthead seabream diets. Decreased, but not significantly so, growth was observed for all diets including legumes compared to the control. Poorer SGR were observed for pea and faba bean diets when these legumes were included at high levels. Liver glycogen increased with increasing starch level, but HSI did not differ significantly for any of the diet treatments. Histological examination of hindgut did not show pathological effects, such as enteritis, for in either species or for any of the diets. Increased absorptive vacuoles were found for control and pea diets (high level) only for seabass. The findings of this thesis showed that the two important species cultivated in Mediterranean countries responded differently to the same raw materials used at high levels in the diets. Overall legumes had a strong effect on gastrointestinal evacuation reducing the rate of feed or digesta passage. Peas, chickpeas and faba beans successfully replaced wheat in seabass diets resulting in improved growth coefficients. However, when the same legumes included in seabream diets growth performance was not improved compared to the wheat based diet

Checking Out Me History, Tings an Times, and White Comedy: Re-shaping and re-playing the post-colonial identity

The main purpose of this article is to show how John Agard’s Checking Out Me History, Linton Kwesi Johnson’s Tings an Times and Benjamin Zephaniah’s White Comedy play along the “spectrum of the spoken word”, as Agard himself describes it, and how their words are spoken as concurrent signs of resistance against the colonizing past. They introduce a kind of poetry that, with all its political force, quite literally “makes something happen”. In other words, through a shared happening among performer and spectators, these poets stand in front of the post-colonial eyes as the colonized body, with all that it carries, taking advantage of the effective immediacy of the performance while returning back to the origins of poetry, namely its oral tradition. Based on a post-colonial geometry of self-re-definition and historical re-membering, the past is reclaimed as the personas / performers / writers / speakers carve history into the shape of their own body and carve themselves inside and outside of history. When they confront and question themselves, they confront and question their spectators and history itself as a spectator of its happenings: how can human beings walk in and out of history’s play without crossing the lines of complicity and how can the rules of the play be subverted

A preliminary investigation on how meteorological changes may affect beach-seine catches of loligo vulgaris in the thracian sea (eastern Mediterranean)

Daily catches of Loligo vulgaris and the fishing effort of commercial beach-seiners operating along the coasts of the Thracian Sea were recorded between October 1994 and May 1995. Taking into account the spatial distribution of the ports, the squid fishing grounds and the daily activity of the beach-seiners, five coastal zones were determined for the monitoring of fishery data. Multivariate analysis failed to show significant differences between the monthly catch rate (cpue) in the zones. However, Loligo vulgaris cpue was clearly seasonal, with a distinct peak in November and an evident decline from winter to spring. Temperature, rainfall and local wind records were used in making a preliminary investigation into meteorological factors that may affect beach-seine catches of squid. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that temperature is a highly significant explanatory variable for cpue variation, whereas the intensity of the wind plays an important role, but mostly during winter. Rainfall was significantly related to variation in cpue in one zone. Cpue was generally negatively correlated with air temperature and rainfall. Most significant correlations of cpue with wind were also negative

The effects of dietary lipid and fibre levels on digestibility of diet and on the growth performance of sharpsnout seabream (Diplodus puntazzo)

In the present study, sharpsnout seabream (Diplodus puntazzo) were fed three experimental isonitrogenous diets composed of 45 g 100g-1 protein and varying lipid and fibre contents as follows: diet A: 45/10/1.5, B: 45/15/1.5 and C: 45/15/5. The effects of the diet composition were investigated by measuring digestibility, growth, carcass composition and haematological parameters. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) for proteins, fats and carbohydrates, measured at high (26˚C) and low (16˚C) water temperatures in laboratory conditions, were not affected by the diet or temperature treatments. Growth was evaluated in a seven-month trial using animals held in sea cages. The specific growth rate (SGR) showed no significant differences among the treatments while the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly improved in the fish that were fed a low-fat diet. A significant increase in body fat was detected in the fish that were fed high-fat diets. The blood serum total lipid levels were elevated for the fish that were fed diet C. In conclusion, a diet containing a protein/fat/fibre ratio of 45/10/1.5 g 100g-1 can result in satisfactory growth and an improved FCR value when compared with diets with higher fat and/or fibre levels, demonstrating that the required fat level for sharpsnout seabream is lower than 15 g 100g-1

Στρεσογόνα γεγονότα ζωής και δευτερογενής ψυχική ανθεκτικότητα εκπαιδευτικών

Η αλληλεπίδραση των εκπαιδευτικών με παιδιά που έχουν βιώσει τραυματικές εμπειρίες στο πλαίσιο επαγγελματικής ενασχόλησης δύναται να προσφέρει θετικές αλλαγές στη ζωή τους. Οι θετικές αλλαγές που παρατηρούνται στη ζωή των εκπαιδευτικών που έχουν εμπειρία με παιδιά που έχουν βιώσει τραυματικά γεγονότα, προσδιορίζονται μέσω του όρου της δευτερογενούς ψυχικής ανθεκτικότητας. Η παρούσα μελέτη αποτελεί πιλοτική προσέγγιση και έχει ως στόχο τη μελέτη της δευτερογενούς ψυχικής ανθεκτικότητας, τη σχέσης της με τα προσωπικά στρεσογόνα γεγονότα των εκπαιδευτικών καθώς επίσης και την διερεύνηση της δευτερογενούς ανθεκτικότητας ανάμεσα σε εκπαιδευτικούς που έχουν εμπειρία με παιδιά που έχουν εκτεθεί σε τραυματικές εμπειρίες και σε εκπαιδευτικούς που δεν έχουν ανάλογη εμπειρία. Με σκοπό τη διερεύνηση των παραπάνω παραγόντων χρησιμοποιήθηκε το ερωτηματολόγιο στρεσογόνων γεγονότων ζωής (Life Stressor Checklist – Revised) και η κλίμακα μέτρησης δευτερογενούς ανθεκτικότητας (Vicarious Resilience Scale). Το δείγμα της παρούσας έρευνας αποτελείται από 64 εκπαιδευτικούς οι οποίοι χωρίζονται σε δύο ομάδες, τους έχοντες και τους μη έχοντες εμπειρία με παιδιά που έχουν εκτεθεί σε στρεσογόνες εμπειρίες. Τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας έδειξαν πως τα προσωπικά στρεσογόνα γεγονότα των εκπαιδευτικών, τα συνολικά έτη προϋπηρεσίας και τα έτη εμπειρίας με παιδιά που έχουν έρθει αντιμέτωπα με στρεσογόνες καταστάσεις σχετίζονται με υψηλότερα επίπεδα δευτερογενούς ανθεκτικότητας. Επιπλέον, δεν παρατηρήθηκαν διαφορές στα επίπεδα της δευτερογενούς ανθεκτικότητας ανάμεσα στα δύο φύλα και ανά επίπεδο εκπαίδευσης. Τέλος, βρέθηκε πως, οι εκπαιδευτικοί που έχουν εμπειρία με παιδιά που έχουν βιώσει τραυματικές εμπειρίες παρουσίασαν υψηλότερα επίπεδα δευτερογενούς ψυχικής ανθεκτικότητας από τους εκπαιδευτικούς χωρίς σχετική εμπειρία. Η μελέτη της δευτερογενούς ανθεκτικότητας θα παρέχει σημαντική γνώση σχετικά με τις αλλαγές που παρατηρούνται στη ζωή των εκπαιδευτικών ως απόρροια της αλληλεπίδραση τους με παιδιά που έχουν εκτεθεί σε στρεσογόνες εμπειρίες.Teachers’ interaction with children who have experienced traumatic events can result in positive changes in their lives. The positive changes observed in the lives of teachers who have experience with children who have confronted traumatic events are identified through the term «vicarious resilience». The present pilot research aims to study vicarious resilience, its correlation with teachers’ personal stressful life events as well as to research vicarious resilience on teachers who have experience with children who have been exposed to traumatic events and teachers who have no similar experience. In order to examine the above factors, the Life Stressor Checklist (Revised) and the Vicarious Resilience Scale were used. The sample of the present research consists of 64 teachers who are divided into two groups, those who have experience with children who have been exposed to traumatic events and those without experience. The results of the study showed that teachers’ stressful life events, total years of experience and years of experience with children who have been exposed to traumatic events are associated with higher levels of vicarious resilience. In addition, gender and level of education, presented no differences at the levels of vicarious resilience. Finally, it was found that teachers who have experience with children who have confronted traumatic events showed higher levels of vicarious resilience than teachers without relevant experience. Research of vicarious resilience will provide valuable information on the changes in teachers&apos; lives as a result of their interaction with children who have been exposed to stressful events

Odnos dužine i maksimalnog obujma za 24 riblje vrste u sjevernom Egejskom moru (istočno Sredozemno more)

The knowledge of morphological relationships and particularly of those concerning fish body girth (G) with total length (TL) is necessary in gear selectivity and specifically the technical measures to avoid capture of undersized individuals. This study concerns 24 marine species exploited by the small-scale coastal fleet in the Aegean Sea (eastern Mediterranean Sea), for 6 of which, the TL-G relationships are mentioned for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea and the adjacent seas. Samples were collected seasonally, from April 2016 to February 2017. The coefficients of the linear regression of body girth in three body positions, (Geye, posterior to the eye; Ghead at the posterior end of the operculum; Gmax at the maximum body depth), with the total length were estimated for each species and for the groups formatted when Geye, Ghead and Gmax were plotted against total length for all the species combined. Statistically significant differences among the three groups were detected (ANCOVA, P<0.001). Comparison of the total length-body girth relationships for 18 species previously studied in different geographic areas of the Mediterranean and the adjacent seas, showed differences mainly with the results from Portuguese waters for certain species populations. Based on the resulted equations, the maximum girth (G max) corresponding to the Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS) and to the total length at maturity (L m) were calculated for each species. Identified mesh sizes respective to G max values were quite larger than the minimum legal mesh size for gillnets and the inner sheet of trammel nets, indicating that the relevant current fisheries regulations cannot meet the requirements for sustainable exploitation of fish resources.Poznavanje morfoloških odnosa, a posebno onih koji se tiču maksimalnog obujma tijela ribe (G) s ukupnom dužinom (TL) potrebito je za određivanje selektivnosti alata, a posebno za tehničke mjere za izbjegavanje hvatanja nedoraslih jedinki. Ova studija se odnosi na 24 morske vrste koje se iskorištavaju u priobalnoj ribolovnoj floti u Egejskom moru (istočno Sredozemno more), za 6 od kojih se TL-G odnosi prvi put spominju u Sredozemnom moru i susjednim morima. Uzorci su prikupljani sezonski, od travnja 2016. do veljače 2017. Koeficijenti linearne regresije obujma tijela u tri položaja tijela (G eye, posteriorno od oka; G head na stražnjem kraju operkuluma; Gmax na maksimalnoj visini tijela), s ukupnom duljinom procijenjene su za svaku vrstu i za skupine oblikovane kada su Geye, Ghead i Gmax ucrtani u odnosu na ukupnu duljinu za sve vrste zajedno. Utvrđene su statistički značajne razlike između tri skupine (ANCOVA, P<0,001). Usporedba odnosa ukupne duljine i obujma tijela za 18 vrsta koje su prethodno istraživane u različitim geografskim područjima Sredozemlja i susjednih mora, pokazala je razlike uglavnom s rezultatima iz portugalskih voda za određene populacije vrsta. Na temelju dobivenih jednadžbi izračunat je maksimalni obujam (Gmax) koji odgovara minimalnoj referentnoj veličini očuvanja (MCRS) i ukupnoj dužini pri zrelosti (Lm) za svaku vrstu. Identificirane veličine oka koje odgovaraju Gmax vrijednostima bile su dosta veće od minimalne zakonske veličine oka za mreže stajačice i unutarnju ploču troslojnih mreža, što ukazuje da relevantni trenutačni propisi o ribarstvu ne mogu ispuniti zahtjeve za održivo iskorištavanje ribljih resursa

The effect of calcium hydroxide on the steroid component of Ledermix® and Odontopaste®

AIM: To investigate the chemical interaction of calcium hydroxide with the corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide in Ledermix Paste and in Odontopaste, a new steroid/antibiotic paste. METHODOLOGY: Validated methods were developed to analyse the interaction of calcium hydroxide in two forms, Pulpdent Paste and calcium hydroxide powder, with triamcinolone acetonide within Odontopaste and Ledermix Paste. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyse the mixed samples of the pastes and calcium hydroxide. The concentration of triamcinolone acetonide within the pastes was determined over 0, 2, 6, 24 and 72-h time-points. All tests with the HPLC involved the testing of the standard with triplicate injections alongside the samples. All samples were tested in duplicate with each injected twice; therefore, four tests were performed for each investigation. Linearity, precision and specificity of the testing procedures and apparatus were validated. Descriptive statistics are provided. RESULTS: In both pastes, there was a marked rapid destruction of the triamcinolone acetonide steroid upon mixing with calcium hydroxide. Odontopaste suffered a lower rate of destruction of the triamcinolone acetonide component than Ledermix Paste, but both pastes showed very similar degrees of steroid destruction after 72 h. When using calcium hydroxide powder with Ledermix Paste, the triamcinolone was destroyed entirely and immediately. CONCLUSION: The addition of calcium hydroxide to Odontopaste or Ledermix Paste results in the rapid destruction of the steroid