Fermented Copra Meal as Replacement for Dietary Fish Meal Protein in Grow-Out Culture of Black Tiger Shrimp, Penaeus monodon Juveniles

Feeding trials were conducted to assess the effects of diets containing fermented copra (FCM) as an alternative to fish meal (FM) on growth, survival, and feed efficiency, in Black Tiger Shrimp, Penaeus monodon. A diet was formulated where 40% of the FM protein was replaced by FCM protein, and compared with a commercial shrimp diet. The feeding experiments were carried out using 10-ton capacity circular outdoor tanks. Three hundred and fifty (350) shrimp were stocked in each tank at a density of 35 shrimp per m3. They were fed the diets at a rate which decreased from 15% down to 4% of average body weight (ABW) per day. The results demonstrated that growth, survival, and feed performance, in P. monodon in outdoor tanks were not affected by replacing 40% of the dietary FM with FCM protein. Furthermore, no difference was found in proximate composition of the shrimp carcass fed the commercial and experimental diets. Although protein efficiency ratio (PER) of the commercial and FCM-based diets were similar, protein productive value (PPV) was significantly higher in the FCM than the commercial diet. Hence, we concluded that FCM is a promising alternative protein source for Black Tiger shrimp and can replace 40% of the fish meal protein without adversely affecting growth, survival, and feed efficiency

What drives phenotypic divergence in Leymus chinensis (Poaceae) on large-scale gradient, climate or genetic differentiation?

Elucidating the driving factors among-population divergence is an important task in evolutionary biology, however the relative contribution from natural selection and neutral genetic differentiation has been less debated. A manipulation experiment was conducted to examine whether the phenotypic divergence of Leymus chinensis depended on climate variations or genetic differentiations at 18 wild sites along a longitudinal gradient from 114 to 124°E in northeast China and at common garden condition of transplantation. Demographical, morphological and physiological phenotypes of 18 L. chinensis populations exhibited significant divergence along the gradient, but these divergent variations narrowed significantly at the transplantation. Moreover, most of the phenotypes were significantly correlated with mean annual precipitation and temperature in wild sites, suggesting that climatic variables played vital roles in phenotypic divergence of the species. Relative greater heterozygosity (H(E)), genotype evenness (E) and Shannon-Wiener diversity (I) in western group of populations suggested that genetic differentiation also drove phenotypic divergence of the species. However, neutral genetic differentiation (F(ST) = 0.041) was greatly lower than quantitative differentiation (Q(ST) = 0.199), indicating that divergent selection/climate variable was the main factor in determining the phenotypic divergence of the species along the large-scale gradient

Prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infection in patients on hemodialysis

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are frequently used as vascular access for patients who require hemodialysis, but infectious complications remain a major clinical problem. Specifically, catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) have an adverse effect on survival, hospitalization, mortality, and the overall cost of care in this setting. The growing number of patients who require hemodialysis, combined with an increasing number of patients who cannot use any vascular access other than a CVC, stress the importance of strategies to prevent CRBSI. Various interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of CRBSI are available, but they have not yet been integrated into evidence-based, consensus guidelines. In this Review, the results from several CVC infection prevention studies-of patients from dialysis and nondialysis settings-are combined to outline a rational approach to CRBSI prevention. Prevention of intraluminal contamination of the CVC is pivotal and of proven efficacy, as are strict aseptic CVC insertion and handling protocols, use of chlorhexidine in alcohol solutions for skin cleansing, topical application of antimicrobial ointments, and antimicrobial lock solutions. Adherence to a meticulous catheter care protocol can achieve a CRBSI incidence well below one episode per 1,000 catheter days, even without the need for antimicrobial ointments or lock solutions.</p