Animal Blood supplemented diet can improve growth performance, body composition and blood profile of Genetically Improved Farm Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Background: Artificial feeding is an effective way to enhance fish production, development and carrying capacity of the culture system to feed the increasing human population. This study was designed to determine and compare the effects of supplementation of basal fish feed with plant (soybean meal) and animal blood as protein sources.Methods: The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized block design. A total of 135 Genetically Improved Farm Tilapia were randomly divided into three groups comprising three replicates and kept in controlled conditions in nine glass aquaria for a period of ninety days. The animals were provided basal diet, plant and animal protein supplemented diets throughout the experiment. Water quality parameters were recorded on a routine basis while growth performance, blood indices and chemical analysis of the body was recorded after ninety days of trial.Results: Overall, water quality parameters remained within the normal range, which highlights those diets had no detrimental effect on the quality of the water and in all groups. However, the fish kept on animal-based protein source diet presented higher growth performance, crude protein and lipids contents, red blood cell count and normal serum ALT, AST, and ALP levels In contrast the fish kept on plant protein diet displayed comparatively lower meat quality and signs of toxicity viz., raised level of hepatic enzymes.Conclusion: From these results, it was concluded that fish fed on diet having blood meal supplementation showed higher performance in comparison to fish groups fed on other diets.Keywords: GIFT; Fish feed; Plant meal; Soybean meal; Animal blood

Modulation of embryo-forming capacity in culture through the expression of Brassica genes involved in the regulation of the shoot apical meristem

Somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis is achieved by culturing bending-cotyledon embryos on a 2,4-D-containing induction medium for 14 d followed by a transfer on to a hormone-free development medium. Several genes orthologous to Arabidopsis SHOOTMERISTEMLESS (STM), CLAVATA 1 (CLV1), and ZWILLE (ZLL) were isolated from Brassica oleracea (Bo), B. rapa (Br), and B. napus (Bn), and ectopically expressed in Arabidopsis to assess their effects on somatic embryogenesis. Ectopic expression of BoSTM, BrSTM, and BnSTM increased the number of somatic embryos, whereas a different effect was observed in lines overexpressing BnCLV1 in which somatic embryo formation was severely repressed. The introduction of BnZLL did not have any effects on Arabidopsis somatic embryogenesis. The increased embryo-forming capacity observed in lines overexpressing Brassica STM was associated with a lower requirement for the inductive signal 2,4-D, and a higher expression of WUSCHEL (WUS) which demarcates the formation of embryogenic cells. This was in contrast to the 35S::BnCLV1 lines which showed the highest requirement for exogenous 2,4-D and a reduced WUS expression. Microarray studies were conducted to monitor global changes in transcript levels during Arabidopsis somatic embryogenesis between the wild-type (WT) line and a BoSTM-overexpressing line, which showed the most pronounced enhancement of somatic embryo yield. The introduction of BoSTM affected the expression of many genes involved in hormone perception and signalling, as well as genes encoding DNA methyltransferases and enzymes of glutathione metabolism. Pharmacological experiments performed to confirm some of the microarray results showed that Arabidopsis somatic embryogenesis is encouraged by a global hypomethylation of the DNA during the induction phase and by a switch of the glutathione pool towards an oxidized state during the subsequent development phase. Both events occurred in the 35S::BoSTM line, but not in the WT line. Altered expression of Brassica STM also had profound effects on B. napus microspore-derived embryogenesis. The yield of microspore-derived embryos increased in lines overexpressing BnSTM and significantly decreased in antisense lines down-regulating BnSTM

Global overview of the management of acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic (CHOLECOVID study)

Background: This study provides a global overview of the management of patients with acute cholecystitis during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: CHOLECOVID is an international, multicentre, observational comparative study of patients admitted to hospital with acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on management were collected for a 2-month study interval coincident with the WHO declaration of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and compared with an equivalent pre-pandemic time interval. Mediation analysis examined the influence of SARS-COV-2 infection on 30-day mortality. Results: This study collected data on 9783 patients with acute cholecystitis admitted to 247 hospitals across the world. The pandemic was associated with reduced availability of surgical workforce and operating facilities globally, a significant shift to worse severity of disease, and increased use of conservative management. There was a reduction (both absolute and proportionate) in the number of patients undergoing cholecystectomy from 3095 patients (56.2 per cent) pre-pandemic to 1998 patients (46.2 per cent) during the pandemic but there was no difference in 30-day all-cause mortality after cholecystectomy comparing the pre-pandemic interval with the pandemic (13 patients (0.4 per cent) pre-pandemic to 13 patients (0.6 per cent) pandemic; P = 0.355). In mediation analysis, an admission with acute cholecystitis during the pandemic was associated with a non-significant increased risk of death (OR 1.29, 95 per cent c.i. 0.93 to 1.79, P = 0.121). Conclusion: CHOLECOVID provides a unique overview of the treatment of patients with cholecystitis across the globe during the first months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The study highlights the need for system resilience in retention of elective surgical activity. Cholecystectomy was associated with a low risk of mortality and deferral of treatment results in an increase in avoidable morbidity that represents the non-COVID cost of this pandemic

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

THE MATING BEHAVIOR OF THE FACE FLY, MUSCA AUTUMNALIS, DEGEER, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE ROLE OF THE SEX PHEROMONE

Abstract not availabl

Semiochemicals released from five bacteria identified from animal wounds infested by primary screwworms and their effects on fly behavioral activity.

BACKGROUND:The Primary screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), is a serious pest feeding on living flesh of any warm-blooded animal, including humans. It was eradicated from the United States in the early 1980s using the sterile male technique. However, it was recently detected in populations of wild deer and pets in the Florida Keys of the US. For monitoring purposes, screwworm flies are normally trapped using attractant bait with liver. However, there has been little effort to develop an efficient monitoring system for detection of screwworm flies using a specific synthetic attractant blend. Several studies have shown that odors from animal wound fluids attract screwworm adults, particularly gravid females. Bacteria associated with animal wounds have been identified that act as a major source for this attraction. To understand what volatiles attract screwworms we inoculated bovine blood with previously identified bacteria. We identified volatile chemicals released from the inoculated blood and other selected media over time and assessed the effect of those chemicals on behavioral activity of adult screwworm flies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:A total of 7 volatile compounds were collected from bacteria incubated in either broth or blood using solid-phase microextraction, and their chemical structures were identified by their characteristic mass spectrum fragments and confirmed by retention times in comparison to those of synthetic standards via gas chromatograph combined mass spectrometry analyses. Five major volatiles including dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, p-cresol and indole were detected from a mixture of 5 bacteria incubated in blood. The ratios of volatiles released differed among different incubation media, time and individual bacteria. A synthetic mixture containing the five compounds was demonstrated to be attractive to adult screwworm flies both in laboratory assays and field trapping trials. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:The results obtained from this study may assist in developing an efficient trapping system using the identified attractant blend to detect the infestation of primary screwworms. This is also the first study to explore the complex systems in volatile release profiles from 5 bacteria isolated from screwworm-infested animal wounds that are incubated with different media and incubation time, as well as individual and multi-species bacterial communities

Behavioral responses of adult screwworms to the synthetic blends of a 5-component blend at three dosages of 600 mg, 60 mg and 6 mg in the laboratory assay (Mean number of screwworm flies ± Std. Error).

<p>Different letters above the bars indicate significant differences in captures of male and female flies (ANOVA, followed by LSD, P< 0.05). Dashed lines indicate mean number of flies caught from the controls.</p