Effect of Dietary Protein and Metabolizable Energy Levels on Growth and Feed Utilization of Sea Bass (Decentrarshus laborax) Larvae

ABSTRACT Three dietary protein levels (25, 35 and 45%) and two dietary metabolizable energy levels (250 and 300 kcal/100g diet) at a 3×2 factorial experiment were combined to study their effects on growth performance, body composition and feed utilization of sea bass (Decentrarshus laborax) larvae. The larvae had initial body weight of 0.8 g. In glass aquaria this experiment lasted for five weeks. Fish were fed 3 times daily to satiation 7 days per week with changing water daily by freshly stocked brackish water (15ppt) and continuous aeration. Fish were weighed every two weeks. Weight gain of sea bass increased significantly with increasing dietary crude protein level up to 45% and decreased significant with increasing energy levels from 250 and 300 kcal/100 g diets. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) improved with increasing dietary crude protein level up to 45% and no differences were found between 250 and 300 kcal/100g diets. Protein and lipid content of sea bass larvae increased significantly with increasing dietary crude protein level from 25% to 45%. Also, lipid content of sea bass larvae increased with increasing dietary energy level from 250 to 300 kcal/100 g diets, but, protein content decreased. The best SGR was observed with 45% dietary crude protein with 250 kcal/100g diet. Final body weight (FBW) of sea bass increased significantly (P<0.05) with increasing dietary crude protein level up to 45% with 250 kcal/100 g diets. ER% increased significantly (P<0.05) with increasing dietary crude protein level, but it decreased with increasing energy level. This result indicates that the best protein and energy levels for sea bass larvae (0.8 g BW) growth are 45% and 250 kcal, respectively. Lower protein level has given better protein utilization and a protein sparing effect but tended to result in reduced weight gain and feed intake, when compared with diet containing higher protein level at 45%

Spectral Studies on Some Hydrazones of 6-Formyl-7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-2-methylchromone

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Rapid and Continued T-Cell Differentiation into Long-term Effector and Memory Stem Cells in Vaccinated Melanoma Patients.

<b>Purpose:</b> Patients with cancer benefit increasingly from T-cell-based therapies, such as adoptive T-cell transfer, checkpoint blockade, or vaccination. We have previously shown that serial vaccinations with Melan-A <sup>MART-1</sup> <sub>26-35</sub> peptide, CpG-B, and incomplete Freund adjuvant (IFA) generated robust tumor-specific CD8 T-cell responses in patients with melanoma. Here, we describe the detailed kinetics of early- and long-term establishment of T-cell frequency, differentiation (into memory and effector cells), polyfunctionality, and clonotype repertoire induced by vaccination. <b>Experimental Design:</b> Twenty-nine patients with melanoma were treated with multiple monthly subcutaneous vaccinations consisting of CpG-B, and either the native/EAA ( <i>n</i> = 13) or the analogue/ELA ( <i>n</i> = 16) Melan-A <sup>MART-1</sup> <sub>26-35</sub> peptide emulsified in IFA. Phenotypes and functionality of circulating Melan-A-specific CD8 T cells were assessed directly <i>ex vivo</i> by multiparameter flow cytometry, and TCR clonotypes were determined <i>ex vivo</i> by mRNA transcript analyses of individually sorted cells. <b>Results:</b> Our results highlight the determining impact of the initial vaccine injections on the rapid and strong induction of differentiated effector T cells in both patient cohorts. Moreover, long-term polyfunctional effector T-cell responses were associated with expansion of stem cell-like memory T cells over time along vaccination. Dominant TCR clonotypes emerged early and persisted throughout the entire period of observation. Interestingly, one highly dominant clonotype was found shared between memory and effector subsets. <b>Conclusions:</b> Peptide/CpG-B/IFA vaccination induced powerful long-term T-cell responses with robust effector cells and stem cell-like memory cells. These results support the further development of CpG-B-based cancer vaccines, either alone or as specific component of combination therapies. <i>Clin Cancer Res; 23(13); 3285-96. ©2016 AACR</i>

New modified poly(ester amide) resins and their uses as a binder for surface coating with different applications

This paper aims to prepare a new modified poly(ester amide) (PEA) resins and use it as a binder for anticorrosive and antimicrobial coatings. Design/methodology/approach New modified PEA compositions were prepared based on 4-amino-N, N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) benzamide (AHEB) as the ingredient source of the polyol used and evaluated as vehicles for surface coating. The structure of the modifier and PEA resin was confirmed by FT-IR, H¹-NMR, MW, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscope studies. Coatings of 50±5 µm thickness were applied to the surface of glass panels and mild steel strips by means of a brush. The coating performance of the resins was evaluated using international standard test methods and involved the measurement of phyisco-mechanical properties and chemical resistance. Findings The tests carried out revealed that the modified PEA based on AHEB enhanced both phyisco-mechanical and chemical properties. Also, the resins were incorporated within primer formulations and evaluated as anti-corrosive and antimicrobial single coatings. The results illustrate that the introduction of AHEB, within the resin structure, improved the film performance and enhances the corrosion resistance and antimicrobial activity performance of PEA resins. Practical implications The modified PEA compounds can be used as binders in paint formulations to improve the chemical, physical, corrosion resistance and antimicrobial activity properties. Originality/value Modified PEA resins are cheaper and can be used to replace other more expensive binders. These modified PEA resins can compensate successfully for the presence of many the anticorrosive and antimicrobial paint formulations, and thus, lower the costs. The main advantage of these binders is that they combine the properties of both polyester and polyamide resins based on nitrogenous compound, are of lower cost and they also overcome the disadvantages of both its counterparts. Also, they can be applied in other industrial applications

Variance-based sensitivity analysis of oil spill predictions in the Red Sea region

To support accidental spill rapid response efforts, oil spill simulations may generally need to account for uncertainties concerning the nature and properties of the spill, which compound those inherent in model parameterizations. A full detailed account of these sources of uncertainty would however require prohibitive resources needed to sample a large dimensional space. In this work, a variance-based sensitivity analysis is conducted to explore the possibility of restricting a priori the set of uncertain parameters, at least in the context of realistic simulations of oil spills in the Red Sea region spanning a two-week period following the oil release. The evolution of the spill is described using the simulation capabilities of Modelo Hidrodinâmico, driven by high-resolution metocean fields of the Red Sea (RS) was adopted to simulate accidental oil spills in the RS. Eight spill scenarios are considered in the analysis, which are carefully selected to account for the diversity of metocean conditions in the region. Polynomial chaos expansions are employed to propagate parametric uncertainties and efficiently estimate variance-based sensitivities. Attention is focused on integral quantities characterizing the transport, deformation, evaporation and dispersion of the spill. The analysis indicates that variability in these quantities may be suitably captured by restricting the set of uncertain inputs parameters, namely the wind coefficient, interfacial tension, API gravity, and viscosity. Thus, forecast variability and confidence intervals may be reasonably estimated in the corresponding four-dimensional input space

A method for the reconstruction of unknown non-monotonic growth functions in the chemostat

We propose an adaptive control law that allows one to identify unstable steady states of the open-loop system in the single-species chemostat model without the knowledge of the growth function. We then show how one can use this control law to trace out (reconstruct) the whole graph of the growth function. The process of tracing out the graph can be performed either continuously or step-wise. We present and compare both approaches. Even in the case of two species in competition, which is not directly accessible with our approach due to lack of controllability, feedback control improves identifiability of the non-dominant growth rate.Comment: expansion of ideas from proceedings paper (17 pages, 8 figures), proceedings paper is version v

Vaccination of stage III/IV melanoma patients with long NY-ESO-1 peptide and CpG-B elicits robust CD8(+) and CD4(+) T-cell responses with multiple specificities including a novel DR7-restricted epitope.

Long synthetic peptides and CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides are promising components for cancer vaccines. In this phase I trial, 19 patients received a mean of 8 (range 1-12) monthly vaccines s.c. composed of the long synthetic NY-ESO-179-108 peptide and CpG-B (PF-3512676), emulsified in Montanide ISA-51. In 18/18 evaluable patients, vaccination induced antigen-specific CD8(+) and CD4(+) T-cell and antibody responses, starting early after initiation of immunotherapy and lasting at least one year. The T-cells responded antigen-specifically, with strong secretion of IFNγ and TNFα, irrespective of patients' HLAs. The most immunogenic regions of the vaccine peptide were NY-ESO-189-102 for CD8(+) and NY-ESO-183-99 for CD4(+) T-cells. We discovered a novel and highly immunogenic epitope (HLA-DR7/NY-ESO-187-99); 7/7 HLA-DR7(+) patients generated strong CD4(+) T-cell responses, as detected directly ex vivo with fluorescent multimers. Thus, vaccination with the long synthetic NY-ESO-179-108 peptide combined with the strong immune adjuvant CpG-B induced integrated, robust and functional CD8(+) and CD4(+) T-cell responses in melanoma patients, supporting the further development of this immunotherapeutic approach

Vaccination with LAG-3Ig (IMP321) and Peptides Induces Specific CD4 and CD8 T-Cell Responses in Metastatic Melanoma Patients-Report of a Phase I/IIa Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: Cancer vaccines aim to generate and maintain antitumor immune responses. We designed a phase I/IIa clinical trial to test a vaccine formulation composed of Montanide ISA-51 (Incomplete Freund's Adjuvant), LAG-3Ig (IMP321, a non-Toll like Receptor agonist with adjuvant properties), and five synthetic peptides derived from tumor-associated antigens (four short 9/10-mers targeting CD8 T-cells, and one longer 15-mer targeting CD4 T-cells). Primary endpoints were safety and T-cell responses. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Sixteen metastatic melanoma patients received serial vaccinations. Up to nine injections were subcutaneously administered in three cycles, each with three vaccinations every 3 weeks, with 6 to 14 weeks interval between cycles. Blood samples were collected at baseline, 1-week after the third, sixth and ninth vaccination, and 6 months after the last vaccination. Circulating T-cells were monitored by tetramer staining directly ex vivo, and by combinatorial tetramer and cytokine staining on in vitro stimulated cells. RESULTS: Side effects were mild to moderate, comparable to vaccines with Montanide alone. Specific CD8 T-cell responses to at least one peptide formulated in the vaccine preparation were found in 13 of 16 patients. However, two of the four short peptides of the vaccine formulation did not elicit CD8 T-cell responses. Specific CD4 T-cell responses were found in all 16 patients. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that vaccination with IMP321 is a promising and safe strategy for inducing sustained immune responses, encouraging further development for cancer vaccines as components of combination therapies. Clin Cancer Res; 22(6); 1330-40. ©2015 AACR