Effects of dietary specific probiotics on some growth and immunity indices, hepatic enzymes and intestinal bacterial flora of reared Persian sturgeon Acipenser persicus fingerlings

This study was carried out to increase production efficiency of Persian sturgeon Acipenser persicus fingerlings. In this experiment, 600 pieces of Persian sturgeonfingerlings (10.76 ± 0.74 g in weight and 14.49 ± 0.7 cm in total length) in four treatments were introduced into twelve fiberglass tanks with 300-L water capacity for 60 days. The treatments were fed with diets containing 0, 150, 300 and 450 mg of four bacterial strains including  Lactococcus lactis, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Weissella cibaria and Enterococcus faecalis powder per kg pelleted diets to make certain concentrations including 0 (T1),  1.5 × 109 (T2), 3 × 109 (T3) and 4.5 × 109 CFU/g (T4). The results showed that there was no significant difference in growth indices in different treatments (p>0.05). However, the maximum and minimum mean final weights were observed in T2 and T1, respectively. The  minimum and maximum values of liver enzymatic indices, LDH, IgM, lysozyme activity and the number of colonial intestine bacterial flora were observed in T2 and T1, respectively, significantly different from the other treatments (p<0.05). The maximum and minimum number of intestinal lactic acid (probiotic) bacteria were also found in T2 and T4, respectively, significantly different from the others (p<0.05). In spite of the fact that a probiotic-supplemented diet could not exhibit a significant effect on growth indices of the Persian sturgeon fingerlings at the weight range of 10-60 g, however, those containing 1.5 × 109 CFU/g (T2), significantly enhanced the immunity, enzymatic and bacterial flora of the intestine

Survey on health status of cage-culture sturgeon fishes in the Caspian Sea

Considering the significance of sturgeon rearing and producing the meat and caviar which are one of the most development programs in aquaculture, it is necessary to investigate on hygiene condition of rearing environment to gather information about current rearing condition and to adopt the best method for prevention of disease and treatment in sturgeons. This study carried out on 3000 species of farmed Huso huso, before and after transferring to cage, during 7 months from 2011.6.7 to 2012.1.10. Before introducing stock to cage, 100 fingerlings randomly selected and no signs of disease observed. Study on parasites showed that before releasing of fingerlings, Trichodina Sp. found in gill and skin with 40% frequency and mean intensity of 20±1.71. During study in sea environment, no parasites observed in gill, skin and gut. Bacterial investigation showed that total bacteria in rearing water of concert tanks, fish gills and skin is 5.80-5.84 Log cfu ml^-1, 3.28-3.41cfug^-1 and 5.36- 5.58 cfu (cm^2 ) -1. The range of bacterial count in water of sea environment, skin and gill was 3.97-5.92 Log cfu ml^-1, 3.74-5.41 cfu (cm^2 ) -1 and 2.01-3.40 cfug^-1, respectively. Before and after releasing, the bacteria isolated from fish and rearing water include Enterobacteriaceae, Aeromonas sp., Pseodomonas sp., Acinetobacter sp., Staphylococcus, Halomunas sp. and Shewanella sp. Furthermore, in fungal examinations, the total fungi in rearing water of concert tanks, gill and skin of fingerlings was 12.66-18 cfu ml-1, 2.66-4 cfug-1,5.33-8.66 cfu(cm^2 ) -1, respectively. Fungal count in rearing water of sea environment was 22-52.5 ml^-1. It was 13- 35.41(cm^2 ) -1 and 8-23.50 cfug-1 in skin and gill. The fungal flora that isolated from the fish and rearing water, were Cladosporium sp., Penicillium sp., Mucor sp., Aspergilus sp. and Yeasts before and after releasing. Some factors of fish blood serum such as total protein, albumin, blood cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, magnesium and calcium of the sea water and freshwater determined and compared. In sea water and fresh water farming conditions, the mean RBC (1102500 ,1067500), WBC (24916.67 , 20625) and White blood cell differential count including Neutrophils (19.41 , 21.25 ), Eosinophils (5.08 ,4) Lymphocytes (72.75, 71.25 ) and Monocytes (2.75 , 3.5) were determined. As well as Hematocrit (20.17, 23.75), Hemoglobin (4.34, 4.27), MCV (783.06, 22.79), MCH (39.42, 39.43) and MCHC (21.69, 17.77) Calculated. The fish blood serum factors including Total protein (1.80, 2.89), Albumin (0.55, 7.89), Cholesterol (70.16, 76.92), Triglyceride (615.74, 330.04), Glucose (64.32, 51.90), Magnesium (9.12, 9.51) and Calcium (5.37, 14.84) were determined and compared in sea water and fresh water, respectively. According to results, significant differences observed in albumin and calcium rate in fishes of freshwater and triglyceride in fishes of sea water (P<0.05). Moreover, the mentioned serum factors, showed significant differences during various months (P<0.05). Examination of 240 fishes showed 10.41% of them had hemorrhage in scutes. Also, investigation on internal organs in reared fish after autopsy showed 40% of them had degeneration of fatty liver. Generally, despite occurrence of some skin sores and fatty liver in the sampled fishes, no infectious disease that led to mortality have not been observed and the fishes which reared in cage had relatively satisfactory health condition

Politeness in requests to supervisors in emails / Ali Hallajian

This study investigates the politeness/impoliteness of supervisees’ request e-mails to their supervisors at a research university in Malaysia. It aimed at determining how Iranian post-graduate students formulate requests when writing e-mails to their Malaysian supervisors. The research aimed to determine if these requests were direct or indirect and if internal/external modification was used. These modifiers are used to mitigate or aggravate the imposition force of a request. The aim of the research was to determine how polite or impolite Malaysian supervisors perceived these requests. This data consists of 128 emails from 20 Iranian post-graduate students to their Malaysian supervisors. 20 supervisors were provided a questionnaire which was designed, pilot-tested. To achieve the objectives of the study, the move structures in request e-mails to their supervisors were first identified (Baugh, 2011). Next, Economidou-Kogetsidis’s (2011) framework which is based on Blum- Kulka et al. (1989) and Biesenbach-Lucas (2006, 2007) was used to determine the level of directness of requests and the internal and external modifications used. The results show that 14 types of generic elements might occur in the e-mails. The findings suggest that request e-mails usually composed of 4 moves which comprise of obligatory and optional steps within them. This result is in sharp contrast with the findings of Bough (2011). Iranian students mostly tend to use ‘Direct’ and ‘Conventionally Indirect’ requests in their e-mails. More specifically, the use of ‘Query Preparatory’ was very prevalent. However, the analysis of the questionnaire indicates that Malaysian supervisors perceive ‘Conventionally Indirect’ strategy as polite whereas ‘Direct’ strategy as an impolite one. ‘Politeness Marker ‘please’’, ‘Downtoners’ and ‘Time intensifier’ were the most used internal modification. In this case, supervisors confirm that if a student uses internal modifications (especially ‘Consultative devices’ and ‘Politeness Marker ‘please’’) in their e-mails they would be considered polite. Students employ ‘Salutation’, ‘Closing’ and ‘Pre-closing/ Thanks’ external modifications to a great extent which were in line with supervisors’ perception of politeness

Cytological comparison of gill chloride cells and blood serum ion concentrations in kutum (Rutilus frisii kutum) spawners from brackish (Caspian Sea) and fresh water (Khoshkrood River) environments

The size and number of chloride cells and serum ion concentrations in kutum, Rutillus frisii kutum Nordman, from brackish (Caspian Sea) and fresh water (Khoshkrood River) environments were studied to gain a better understanding of osmoregulation in this species. Twenty mature kutum specimens were collected from the Caspian Sea (Anzali coasts, 8.49 ppt salinity and 12.4°C temperature) and 20 specimens from Khoshkrood River (0.18 ppt salinity and 18°C temperature). Gill samples were analyzed histologically and concentrations of Na+, Cl- , K+, and Mg2+ ions were determined in the blood serum. Concentrations of Na+, Cl- , K+, and Mg2+ ions and osmotic pressure in mature kutum from brackish water were significantly higher than in specimens from fresh water. The average size and number of chloride cells in the fish from seawater were considerably larger than those from fresh water. The mean size of chloride cells was 6.89 ± 1.16 μm in brackish water samples and 5.1 ± 0.81 μm in river samples. The average number of chloride cells in brackish and river water samples were 16.92 and 6.57, respectively. The density and size of chloride cells increased with increases in salinit

Biochemical parameters and leukocyte differential count in Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) juveniles caught in the Mazandaran province coasts

Hematological studies are an available and sensitive method for assessing natural condition in an organism at different ages. The present study was carried out with the aim of studying leukocytes differential count and some blood biochemical indices in 30 Acipenser persicus juveniles captured using trawl at depth of 2 to 20 meters in Mazandran coasts from autumn 1999 through 2001. Blood samples were obtained using syringe 2 mL from caudal vein. Biochemical parameters (calcium, magnesium, cholesterol, albumin and total protein) were measured using spectrophotometeric method. Fish were divided into three weight classes including 15–24, 25–34 and 35–45 g. Differential count results showed that the maximum and minimum percentage of leukocytes belonged to lymphocytes and monocytes, respectively  with no significant difference in studied groups (P>0.05). Calcium and albumin levels showed no significant difference between different weight groups (P>0.05), but significant different was observed for cholesterol, magnesium and total protein levels (P0.05). The results of the present study can be used for  assessing health condition based on size, time and sampling locality and also as a reference for biochemical indices and normal physiological status in Acipenser persicus

Histological study of gill in juveniles of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) caught in southern parts of the Caspian Sea

Fish gill is directly exposed to aqueous environmental pollutions and is one of the most important organs for studying the effects of contaminations. Therefore, this research was conducted to evaluate the histopathology of gill tissue in wild Persian sturgeon Acipenser persicus at natural conditions. A total number of 50 wild Persian sturgeonwere captured and sampled by trawling in the south areas of the Caspian Sea in Iranian waters from Astara port to Bandar Turkmen during 2009-2013. After biometry of fish, gill tissue sampling was done, fixed with Bouin's solution and transferred to histology lab. Tissue samples were dehydrated, clarified, mounted and colored based on the hematoxylin–eosin method. Microscopic studies showed some disasters such as regressive changes, ­progressive changes, circulation anomalies, clubbing, necrosis, lamellar fusion, hyperemia and hyperplasia in some gill tissues. Based on the obtained results, entering any pollution into the Caspian Sea water will change environmental states of sturgeons' habitat and lead to morphological disasters in gill and mortality in fishes

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials on efficacy and safety of transcranial direct current stimulation in major neurodevelopmental disorders: ADHD, autism, and dyslexia

OBJECTIVE: Among the target groups in child and adolescent psychiatry, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been more applied in neurodevelopmental disorders specifically, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and dyslexia. This systematic review aims to provide the latest update on published randomized-controlled trials applying tDCS in these disorders for evaluating its efficacy and safety. METHODS: Based on a pre-registered protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42022321430) and using the PRISMA approach, a literature search identified 35 randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of tDCS on children and adolescents with ADHD (n = 17), ASD (n = 11), and dyslexia (n = 7). RESULTS: In ADHD, prefrontal anodal tDCS is reported more effective compared to stimulation of the right inferior frontal gyrus. Similarly in ASD, prefrontal anodal tDCS was found effective for improving behavioral problems. In dyslexia, stimulating temporoparietal regions was the most common and effective protocol. In ASD and dyslexia, all tDCS studies found an improvement in at least one of the outcome variables while 64.7% of studies (11 of 17) in ADHD found a similar effect. About 88% of all tDCS studies with a multi-session design in 3 disorders (16 of 18) reported a significant improvement in one or all outcome variables after the intervention. Randomized, double-blind, controlled trials consisted of around 70.5%, 36.3%, and 57.1% of tDCS studies in ADHD, ASD, and dyslexia, respectively. tDCS was found safe with no reported serious side effects in 6587 sessions conducted on 745 children and adolescents across 35 studies. CONCLUSION: tDCS was found safe and partially effective. For evaluation of clinical utility, larger randomized controlled trials with a double-blind design and follow-up measurements are required. Titration studies that systematically evaluate different stimulation intensities, duration, and electrode placement are lacking

Targeting the prefrontal-supplementary motor network in obsessive-compulsive disorder with intensified electrical stimulation in two dosages: a randomized, controlled trial

Abstract Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with a high disease burden, and treatment options are limited. We used intensified electrical stimulation in two dosages to target a main circuitry associated with the pathophysiology of OCD, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-DLPFC), and pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and assessed clinical outcomes, neuropsychological performance, and brain physiology. In a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, thirty-nine patients with OCD were randomly assigned to three groups of sham, 2-mA, or 1-mA transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the l-DLPFC (F3) and pre-SMA (FC2) with anodal and cathodal stimulation respectively. The treatment included 10 sessions of 20-minute stimulation delivered twice per day with 20-min between-session intervals. Outcome measures were reduction in OCD symptoms, anxiety, and depressive states, performance on a neuropsychological test battery (response inhibition, working memory, attention), oscillatory brain activities, and functional connectivity. All outcome measures except EEG were examined at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up times. The 2-mA protocol significantly reduced OCD symptoms, anxiety, and depression states and improved quality of life after the intervention up to 1-month follow-up compared to the sham group, while the 1-mA protocol reduced OCD symptoms only in the follow-up and depressive state immediately after and 1-month following the intervention. Both protocols partially improved response inhibition, and the 2-mA protocol reduced attention bias to OCD-related stimuli and improved reaction time in working memory performance. Both protocols increased alpha oscillatory power, and the 2-mA protocol decreased delta power as well. Both protocols increased connectivity in higher frequency bands at frontal-central areas compared to the sham. Modulation of the prefrontal-supplementary motor network with intensified tDCS ameliorates OCD clinical symptoms and results in beneficial cognitive effects. The 2-mA intensified stimulation resulted in larger symptom reduction and improved more converging outcome variables related to therapeutic efficacy. These results support applying the intensified prefrontal-SMA tDCS in larger trials

Intensified electrical stimulation targeting lateral and medial prefrontal cortices for the treatment of social anxiety disorder: A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, dose-comparison study

BACKGROUND: Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is the most common anxiety disorder while remains largely untreated. Disturbed amygdala-frontal network functions are central to the pathophysiology of SAD, marked by hypoactivity of the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), and hypersensitivity of the medial PFC and the amygdala. The objective of this study was to determine whether modulation of the dorsolateral and medial PFC activity with a novel intensified stimulation protocol reduces SAD core symptoms, improves treatment-related variables, and reduces attention bias to threatening stimuli. METHODS: In this randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind trial, we assessed the efficacy of an intensified stimulation protocol (20 min, twice-daily sessions with 20 min intervals, 5 consecutive days) in two intensities (1 vs 2 mA) compared to sham stimulations. 45 patients with SAD were randomized in three tDCS arms (1-mA, 2-mA, sham). SAD symptoms, treatment-related variables (worries, depressive state, emotion regulation, quality of life), and attention bias to threatening stimuli (dot-probe paradigm) were assessed before and right after the intervention. SAD symptoms were also assessed at 2-month follow-up. RESULTS: Both 1-mA and 2-mA protocols significantly reduced fear/avoidance symptoms, worries and improved, emotion regulation and quality of life after the intervention compared to the sham group. Improving effect of the 2-mA protocol on avoidance symptoms, worries and depressive state was significantly larger than the 1-mA group. Only the 2-mA protocol reduced attention bias to threat-related stimuli, the avoidance symptom at follow-up, and depressive states, as compared to the sham group. CONCLUSIONS: Modulation of lateral-medial PFC activity with intensified stimulation can improve cognitive control, motivation and emotion networks in SAD and might thereby result in therapeutic effects. These effects can be larger with 2-mA vs 1-mA intensities, though a linear relationship between intensity and efficacy should not be concluded. Our results need replication in larger trials