Laboratory investigation of daily food intake and gut evacuation in larvae of African catfish Clarias gariepinus under different feeding conditions

Abstract Temporary accumulation of ascorbic acid 2-sulfate (AAS) was measured to estimate food intake and gut evacuation in larvae of African catfish. Fish larvae were fed decapsulated cysts of Artemia containing AAS. In a first experiment it was found that no biosynthesis of AAS occurs in the larvae of this species. In a second experiment, the gut contents of the fish larvae fed were calculated as they changed during development. In a third experiment, the gut evacuation rate of fish larvae was determined during continuous and discontinuous feeding regimes in the first five days after the start of exogenous feeding. Food consumption by catfish larvae increased from 46.5% of their body dry weight (BDW) on day 1 after the start of exogenous feeding to 53.8% BDW on day 3. Thereafter, food consumption decreased to 27.8% BDW on day 5. A similar pattern was observed for gut evacuation, which increased during the first days of exogenous feeding and decreased as fish growth continued. The rate of gut evacuation in a continuous feeding regime was significantly higher (P <0.05) than that under discontinuous feeding. On day 1 post-hatch and 7 h after first food ingestion the fish larvae evacuated 87% of the food in continuous feeding compared with 43% under discontinuous feeding. It was found that gut emptying differs during larval development. Under continuous feeding, on days 1 and 3 post-hatch and 11 h after the first meal 90% of the food was evacuated compared with 71% evacuated on day 5. The advantages and limitations of the AAS method for estimation of food consumption by fish larvae are discussed

Influence of HiPIMS pulse widths on the deposition behaviour and properties of CuAgZr compositionally graded films

In this work, the influence of different pulse widths (25, 50 and 100 μs) during high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) of copper, silver and zirconium was investigated in terms of plasma properties and properties of combinatorial composition gradient CuAgZr film libraries. In situ plasma diagnostics via optical emission spectroscopy (OES), time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS), and modified quartz crystal microbalance (m-QCM), followed by film ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations allowed to determine the effect of deposition parameters on the thin films' microstructural changes. Changing the pulse width, while keeping the duty cycle constant, modified the discharge composition in the target region and the ionised fraction of the sputtered species in the substrate region. The maximum Cu ionised fraction (19 %) was found for 50 μs, resulting in compact and smooth morphology for Cu-rich films, whereas short 25 μs pulses provided porous columnar films with rough surfaces, as the result from Ar+ bombardment. For Ag-rich films, Ag segregation allowed the deposition of dense layers, regardless of the used pulse width. Furthermore, low Ag (<10 at.%) CuAgZr films produced via HiPIMS and direct-current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) were compared in terms of structural and mechanical property changes as a function of Zr contents. For the studied chemical composition range, a linear relationship between Zr content, XRD phase shift and mechanical properties was observed for HiPIMS films, in contrast to DCMS's more abrupt transitions. An increase in hardness and elastic modulus (up to 44 % and 22 %, respectively) was found for the HiPIMS films compared to DCMS ones. The obtained results highlight HiPIMS's flexibility in providing a wide range of tailoring possibilities to meet specific application requirements, such as crystalline microstructure, density and associated mechanical properties

The Tuber Extract and Flour of Dioscorea Alatanormalize the Blood Lipid Profile of Rabbits Treated with High Cholesterol Diets

Background: Dioscorea alata(DA) tuber has potential to prevent the condition of hyperlipidemia due to the bioactive compound, such as anthocyanins, diosgenin, and dietary fiber that beneficial in normalizing blood lipid profiles. In this research, the effect of water extract and flour of DA tuber administration was examined on rabbits treated with high cholesterol diets.Methods:DA tuber extract and flour were administrated to the rabbits for 60 days using completely randomised design. The ration treatment are as follows: 1) Basal ration as negative control (K0), 2) Basal ration + 0.5% cholesterol, as positive control (K1), 3) Basal ration + 0.5% cholesterol + DA extract 1.8 g/100 g (KE1), 4) Basal ration + cholesterol 0.5% + DA extract 3.6 g/100 g (KE2), 5) Basal ration with 15% DA flour + 0.5% cholesterol (KT1) and 6) Basal ration with 30% DA flour + 0.5% cholesterol (KT2). The Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL cholesterol in serum were analysed at baseline, days 28, days 56 and at the end of study.Results:The administration of high cholesterol (1%) ration increased blood lipid levels by 16 fold compared to that of control. The administration of 15% and 30% of DA flour could maintain blood lipid profile to normal condition, in particular at 30% substitution DA flour. However the water extract of DA can not maintain a normal blood lipids of high cholesterol treated rabbitsConclusion: Dioscorea alata flour has suggested to have anti-hyperlipidemia effect. (Health Science Indones 2014;1:23-9

Promotion of healthy aging within a community center through behavior change: health and fitness findings from the AgeWell pilot randomized controlled trial

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to determine if behavior change through individual goal setting (GS) could promote healthy aging, including health and fitness benefits in older adults who attended a community “AgeWell” Center for 12 months. Seventy-five older adults were randomly allocated to either a control or a GS group. Health outcomes were measured at baseline and after 12 months of the participants’ having access to the exception of Agewell Center facilities. The findings demonstrate that participation in the Center in itself was beneficial, with improved body composition and reduced cardiovascular risk in both groups (p < .05), and that this kind of community-based resource offers valuable potential for promoting protective behaviors and reducing health risk. However, a specific focus on identifying individual behavior change goals was required in order to achieve increased activity engagement (p < .05) and to bring about more substantial improvements in a range of health, diet, and physical function measures (p < .05)

Spirometry reference equations for central European populations from school age to old age.

Spirometry reference values are important for the interpretation of spirometry results. Reference values should be updated regularly, derived from a population as similar to the population for which they are to be used and span across all ages. Such spirometry reference equations are currently lacking for central European populations. To develop spirometry reference equations for central European populations between 8 and 90 years of age. We used data collected between January 1993 and December 2010 from a central European population. The data was modelled using "Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape" (GAMLSS). The spirometry reference equations were derived from 118'891 individuals consisting of 60'624 (51%) females and 58'267 (49%) males. Altogether, there were 18'211 (15.3%) children under the age of 18 years. We developed spirometry reference equations for a central European population between 8 and 90 years of age that can be implemented in a wide range of clinical settings

Neandertal introgression partitions the genetic landscape of neuropsychiatric disorders and associated behavioral phenotypes

Despite advances in identifying the genetic basis of psychiatric and neurological disorders, fundamental questions about their evolutionary origins remain elusive. Here, introgressed variants from archaic humans such as Neandertals can serve as an intriguing research paradigm. We compared the number of associations for Neandertal variants to the number of associations of frequency-matched non-archaic variants with regard to human CNS disorders (neurological and psychiatric), nervous system drug prescriptions (as a proxy for disease), and related, non-disease phenotypes in the UK biobank (UKBB). While no enrichment for Neandertal genetic variants were observed in the UKBB for psychiatric or neurological disease categories, we found significant associations with certain behavioral phenotypes including pain, chronotype/sleep, smoking and alcohol consumption. In some instances, the enrichment signal was driven by Neandertal variants that represented the strongest association genome-wide. SNPs within a Neandertal haplotype that was associated with smoking in the UKBB could be replicated in four independent genomics datasets

Al-2 quorum-sensing inhibitors affect the starvation response and reduce virulence in several <i>Vibrio</i> species, most likely by interfering with LuxPQ

The increase of disease outbreaks caused by Vibrio species in aquatic organisms as well as in humans, together with the emergence of antibiotic resistance in Vibrio species, has led to a growing interest in alternative disease control measures. Quorum sensing (QS) is a mechanism for regulating microbial gene expression in a cell density-dependent way. While there is good evidence for the involvement of auto-inducer 2 (AI-2)-based interspecies QS in the control of virulence in multiple Vibrio species, only few inhibitors of this system are known. From the screening of a small panel of nucleoside analogues for their ability to disturb AI-2-based QS, an adenosine derivative with a p-methoxyphenylpropionamide moiety at C-3′ emerged as a promising hit. Its mechanism of inhibition was elucidated by measuring the effect on bioluminescence in a series of Vibrio harveyi AI-2 QS mutants. Our results indicate that this compound, as well as a truncated analogue lacking the adenine base, block AI-2-based QS without interfering with bacterial growth. The active compounds affected neither the bioluminescence system as such nor the production of AI-2, but most likely interfered with the signal transduction pathway at the level of LuxPQ in V. harveyi. The most active nucleoside analogue (designated LMC-21) was found to reduce the Vibrio species starvation response, to affect biofilm formation in Vibrio anguillarum, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio cholerae, to reduce pigment and protease production in V. anguillarum, and to protect gnotobiotic Artemia from V. harveyi-induced mortality

Genetic spectrum of hereditary neuropathies with onset in the first year of life

Early onset hereditary motor and sensory neuropathies are rare disorders encompassing congenital hypomyelinating neuropathy with disease onset in the direct post-natal period and Dejerine–Sottas neuropathy starting in infancy. The clinical spectrum, however, reaches beyond the boundaries of these two historically defined disease entities. De novo dominant mutations in PMP22, MPZ and EGR2 are known to be a typical cause of very early onset hereditary neuropathies. In addition, mutations in several other dominant and recessive genes for Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease may lead to similar phenotypes. To estimate mutation frequencies and to gain detailed insights into the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of early onset hereditary neuropathies, we selected a heterogeneous cohort of 77 unrelated patients who presented with symptoms of peripheral neuropathy within the first year of life. The majority of these patients were isolated in their family. We performed systematic mutation screening by means of direct sequencing of the coding regions of 11 genes: MFN2, PMP22, MPZ, EGR2, GDAP1, NEFL, FGD4, MTMR2, PRX, SBF2 and SH3TC2. In addition, screening for the Charcot–Marie–Tooth type 1A duplication on chromosome 17p11.2-12 was performed. In 35 patients (45%), mutations were identified. Mutations in MPZ, PMP22 and EGR2 were found most frequently in patients presenting with early hypotonia and breathing difficulties. The recessive genes FGD4, PRX, MTMR2, SBF2, SH3TC2 and GDAP1 were mutated in patients presenting with early foot deformities and variable delay in motor milestones after an uneventful neonatal period. Several patients displaying congenital foot deformities but an otherwise normal early development carried the Charcot–Marie–Tooth type 1A duplication. This study clearly illustrates the genetic heterogeneity underlying hereditary neuropathies with infantile onset