Size related feeding patterns and electivity indices of silver barb (Barbodes gonionotus Bleeker) from a pond, Bangladesh

The feeding patterns with respect to quality and quantity of food of silver barb, Barbodes gonionotus varied with their size and development. The results indicated that the fish in the size group I (7-25 mm TL) were fairly omnivore with particular liking for rotifera, green and blue-green algae while the size group II (25.1-44 mm TL) and III (44.1-55 mm TL) were omnivore with higher tendency of feeding on debris, aquatic plants, green algae, blue-green algae and rotifera. However, the fish of the size group IV (55.1-80 mm TL) were found to be herbivore with feeding preference for aquatic plants, green and blue-green algae. In all the size groups, debris was the most dominant food item. Feeding preference of the fish showed clear ontogenetic shift. The electivity indices revealed that the fish were selective feeder

Secondary stress responses of zebrafish to different pH: Evaluation in a seasonal manner

AbstractStress is one of the most critical factors in fish health. The response to stress in fish is characterized by the stimulation of the hypothalamus, which results in the activation of the neuroendocrine system and a subsequent cascade of metabolic and physiological changes. The present paper deals with the stress responses of water pH on certain biochemical indices and hematological parameters of zebrafish in a seasonal basis. Zebrafish were exposed to different pH e.g., 7.2, 5.0 and 10.0 and the secondary stress responses were observed. The result showed that exposure to pH 5.0 and 10.0 on zebrafish exerted stresses with reference to seasons. Higher values of blood glucose content observed in the month of summer than the month of winter and females showed higher values than males. Chronic effects of pH on the hematological parameters were also significant between these seasons. In conclusion, exposure to pH at sub-lethal concentrations induced biochemical and hematological alterations in zebrafish and offers a simple tool to evaluate the potential risk of polluted water (acid and base) to fish

Structure variability and phylogeny of Klebsiella pneumoniae OXA-48 Class D carbapenemases

<p>Carbapenem antibiotics are considered last resort options in the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae producing Extended Spectrum β-Lactamases (ESBLs). The emergence of Klebsiella pneumoniae OXA-48 in particular is steadily expanding and represents a major public health concern. The aim of the present study is to analyze the variability and phylogeny of K. pneumoniae OXA-48 amino acids structures from different geographic areas of the world.</p><p>The data on K. pneumoniae OXA-48 amino acids structures were collected during the month of May 2019 from the Protein Data Bank (PDB). The alignment of protein sequences was carried using the Clustal Omega program available on the UniProt database. The phylogenetic analysis and dendrogram were realized using MEGA software version 6.</p><p>Among 58 structures, 8 representative OXA-48 variants were selected for the study. The alignment demonstrated that the conserved motifs were in general well conserved except for the two mutations S70G and S70A remarked respectively in the two chains 5HAQ and 5HAP from the United States. However, the OXA-181 and OXA-245 variants displayed mutations far away from the active sites. In comparison with OXA-48, OXA-181 variant showed four substitutions at Thr104Ala, Asn110Asp, Glu168Gln, and Ser171Ala; while OXA-245 had a single amino acid substitution Glu125Tyr. The phylogenetic analysis revealed three distinct clusters; the first one consists of four OXA-48 structures (Canada, Norway, United States and Italy) and one OXA-245 (Norway), the second includes two OXA-48 structures from the United States, while the third cluster is formed by an individual OXA-181 from Norway.</p><p>The results of this study confirm a similar evolutionary trend in the structure of K. pneumoniae OXA-48 variants worldwide. The current data on K. pneumoniae OXA-48 amino acids structures is limited to restricted geographic areas, and need broadening to provide the actual state of molecular changes and antimicrobial resistance evolution.</p&gt

Combinatory Effects of microRNA modulation and Viral Oncolysis on Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is arguably one of the most lethal and aggressive form of pancreatic cancer, with poor prognosis due to an immunologically cold tumor microenvironment making it difficult. With it being the most common type of pancreatic cancer, it accounts for approximately 90% of cases with an overall 5-year survival rate of 7%-9% worldwide, per the National Cancer Institute. Exosomes are tiny extracellular vesicles that are secreted by almost all cells, and they carry a diverse range of biomolecules, such as proteins and microRNAs, within their cargo. Dysregulation of microRNA (miR) expression and function has been implicated in various cellular processes, including cancer proliferation. miR-7 has been shown that at physiological levels play a role in suppressing expression in oncogenes that play a role in the processes of PDAC. The downregulation of miR-7 inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion within PDAC tumor microenvironment. Oncolytic viruses (OV) are naturally existing viruses that can replicate in cancerous cells to lyse tumors without killing healthy cells and has been known to be a significant helpful tool to treat pancreatic cancer. In this study, we aim to explore the potential therapeutic synergism with a combinatorial approach of restoring miR-7 via exosomes and Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus (oHSV) on PDAC cells. Our preliminary findings show enrichment of miR-7 paired with oHSV treatment significantly impacts PDAC cell viability in vitro. Once validated, this approach has the potential to facilitate the development of more effective therapeutic stratification approaches for patients with PDAC

Morphological Variation In Atyaephyra Desmarestii (Millet, 1831) Within And Among Populations Over Its Geographical Range

In order to elucidate the distinction of Atyaephyra desmarestii subspecies (A. d. desmarestii, A. d. orientalis, A. d. stankoi and A. d. mesopotamica ) and investigate their geographical distribution in Greece, the main morphological features and somatometric ratios were studied in numerous specimens collected from a dense station network of Greek fresh waters. Specimens from Belgium, Portugal, Albania and Turkey were also examined. Atyaephyra desmarestii was found in western and northern Greece while it was absent in eastern Greece , the Aegean and the Ionian islands. The comparison of the obtained data with those of the literature revealed a clearly overlapping variability of the main key morphological features among the four subspecies. The results of this study indicate that the current A. desmarestii subspecies are not valid on the basis of the used key features. There is only one very variable species with many ecophenotypes

Alteration of Blood Parameters and Histoarchitecture of Liver and Kidney of Silver Barb after Chronic Exposure to Quinalphos

Quinalphos (QP) is commonly used for pest control in the agricultural fields surrounding freshwater reservoirs. This study was conducted to evaluate the chronic toxicity of this pesticide on blood parameters and some organs of silver barb, Barbonymus gonionotus. Fish were exposed to two sublethal concentrations, 0.47 ppm and 0.94 ppm, of QP for a period of 28 days. All the blood parameters (red blood cell, hematocrit, and hemoglobin) and blood glucose except for white blood cells decreased with increasing concentration of toxicant and become significantly lower (p<0.05) at higher concentration when compared with control. The derived hematological indices of mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration were equally altered compared to control. Histoarchitectural changes of liver and kidney were observed after exposure to the QP. Hypertrophy of hepatocytes, mild to severe necrosis, ruptured central vein, and vacuolation were observed in the liver of treated groups. Highly degenerated kidney tubules and hematopoietic tissue, degeneration of renal corpuscle, vacuolization, and necrosis were evident in the kidney of treated groups. In conclusion, chronic exposure to QP at sublethal concentrations induced hematological and histological alterations in silver barb and offers a simple tool to evaluate toxicity derived alterations

Alteration of Blood Parameters and Histoarchitecture of Liver and Kidney of Silver Barb after Chronic Exposure to Quinalphos

Quinalphos (QP) is commonly used for pest control in the agricultural fields surrounding freshwater reservoirs. This study was conducted to evaluate the chronic toxicity of this pesticide on blood parameters and some organs of silver barb, Barbonymus gonionotus. Fish were exposed to two sublethal concentrations, 0.47 ppm and 0.94 ppm, of QP for a period of 28 days. All the blood parameters (red blood cell, hematocrit, and hemoglobin) and blood glucose except for white blood cells decreased with increasing concentration of toxicant and become significantly lower (p<0.05) at higher concentration when compared with control. The derived hematological indices of mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration were equally altered compared to control. Histoarchitectural changes of liver and kidney were observed after exposure to the QP. Hypertrophy of hepatocytes, mild to severe necrosis, ruptured central vein, and vacuolation were observed in the liver of treated groups. Highly degenerated kidney tubules and hematopoietic tissue, degeneration of renal corpuscle, vacuolization, and necrosis were evident in the kidney of treated groups. In conclusion, chronic exposure to QP at sublethal concentrations induced hematological and histological alterations in silver barb and offers a simple tool to evaluate toxicity derived alterations