Effect of different dietary protein and energy levels on growth of juvenile Beluga (Huso huso)

A 2 × 4 factorial design was conducted to study the effects of dietary protein and energy levels on growth performance of juvenile beluga (Huso huso) with average weight of 49.85 ± 1.64 g. Experiments were conducted with two dietary protein levels (40 and 45%) and four dietary energy level (18.5, 19.8, 21.1 and 22.4 MJ/kg diet) by ratio P/E (18.03 to 24.14 mg/kj). Fish were fed the experimental diets for 110 days. In each of the protein levels (40 and 45%), the feed efficiency, body weight increase, Protein efficiency ratio, specific growth rate, final body weight and total feed intake of fish improved significantly as dietary energy levels increased (P≤ 0.05). Growth of fish fed high- energy diets was significantly higher than those of fish fed low- energy diets at 40 and 45% dietary protein levels (P≤ 0.05). Protein content of carcass increased when dietary protein increased, but there was no significant different (P≥ 0.05) between 40 and 45 % protein. Lipid content of fish fed diet high- energy level was significantly higher than those of fish fed low dietary energy (P≤ 0.05). So the maximum growth and weight (22.4 ± 5.3 gr) was observed in treatment, that were fed diets containing 45% protein & 22.4 mega joule crude energy. Considering that no significant difference were affected for among the diet for the parameters studied, the diet containing 40 % protein, 21 % fat and 21.1 mega Joule crude energy per kilogram diet with a P/E ratio of 20 mg protein per kilo joule from a good quality source is a suitable diet in terms of physiology and economy can be considered a suitable diet to produce maximum growth in juvenile beluga in the weight class 49 to 200g

The ESQUIRE project: Quantum Dots as scintillation detectors

The primary goal of ESQUIRE (Experiment with Scintillating Quantum dots for Ionizing Radiation Events) is the development of a new family of scintillation detectors based on scintillating nanocrystals coupled to high-quantumefficiency solid-state detectors. These detectors will be designed for the search of neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ), therefore an excellent energy resolution in the region of interest for the study of 0νββ (∼2% around 3 MeV) is mandatory. One of the main advantages in this approach is the easy mass scalability, which makes ESQUIRE a competitive option for next-generation experiments. During the discussion the project goal will be presented, alongside the first optical characterization of QD samples

Detection of human metapneumovirus and respiratory syncytial virus by real-time polymerase chain reaction among hospitalized young children in Iran

Background: Acute respiratory infection plays an important role in hospitalization of children in developing countries; detection of viral causes in such infections is very important. The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common etiological agent of viral lower respiratory tract infection in children, and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is associated with both upper and lower respiratory tract infections among infants and children. Objectives: This study evaluated the frequency and seasonal prevalence of hMPV and RSV in hospitalized children under the age of five, who were admitted to Aliasghar children�s hospital of Iran University of Medical Sciences from March 2010 until March 2013. Patients and Methods: Nasopharyngeal or throat swabs from 158 hospitalized children with fever and respiratory distress were evaluated for RSV and hMPV RNA by the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Results: Among the 158 children evaluated in this study, 49 individuals (31.1) had RSV infection while nine individuals (5.7) had hMPV infection. Five (55.5) of the hMPV-infected children were male while four (44.5) were female and 27 (55.2) of the RSV-infected patients were females and 22 (44.8) were males. The RSV infections were detected in mainly one year old children. Both RSV and hMPV infections had occurred mainly during winter and spring seasons. Conclusions: Respiratory syncytial virus was the major cause of acute respiratory infection in children under one-year of age while human metapneumovirus had a low prevalence in this group. The seasonal occurrence of both viruses was the same. © 2016, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Amyloid β induces early changes in the ribosomal machinery, cytoskeletal organization and oxidative phosphorylation in retinal photoreceptor cells

Amyloid β (Aβ) accumulation and its aggregation is characteristic molecular feature of the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). More recently, Aβ has been suggested to be associated with retinal pathology associated with AD, glaucoma and drusen deposits in age related macular degeneration (AMD). In this study, we investigated the proteins and biochemical networks that are affected by Aβ in the 661 W photoreceptor cells in culture. Time and dose dependent effects of Aβ on the photoreceptor cells were determined utilizing tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling-based quantitative mass-spectrometric approach. Bioinformatic analysis of the data revealed concentration and time dependent effects of the Aβ peptide stimulation on various key biochemical pathways that might be involved in mediating the toxicity effects of the peptide. We identified increased Tau phosphorylation, GSK3β dysregulation and reduced cell viability in cells treated with Aβ in a dose and time dependent manner. This study has delineated for the first-time molecular networks in photoreceptor cells that are impacted early upon Aβ treatment and contrasted the findings with a longer-term treatment effect. Proteins associated with ribosomal machinery homeostasis, mitochondrial function and cytoskeletal organization were affected in the initial stages of Aβ exposure, which may provide key insights into AD effects on the photoreceptors and specific molecular changes induced by Aβ peptide

TESTING THE PAULI EXCLUSION PRINCIPLE IN THE COSMIC SILENCE

The VIP Collaboration is performing high precision tests of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons in the extremely low cosmic background environment of the Underground Gran Sasso Laboratories of INFN (Italy). The experimental technique consists in introducing a DC current in a copper conductor, searching for K$_{\alpha}$ PEP-forbidden atomic transitions when the K shell is already occupied by two electrons. VIP set an upper limit on the PEP-violation probability $\frac{1}{2} \beta^2 < 4.7 \times 10^{-29}$. The aim of the upgraded VIP-2 experiment is to improve this result at least by two orders of magnitude. The improved experimental setup and the results of a preliminary data analysis, corresponding to the the first run of the VIP-2 data taking (2016–2017), will be presented

VIP2 in LNGS - Testing the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons with high sensitivity

The VIP2 (VIolation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle) experiment at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) is searching for possible violations of standard quantum mechanics predictions in atoms at very high sensitivity. We investigate atomic transitions with precision X-ray spectroscopy in order to test the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) and therefore the related spin-statistics theorem. We will present our experimental method for the search for "anomalous" (i.e. Pauli-forbidden) X-ray transitions in copper atoms, produced by "new" electrons, which could have tiny probability to undergo Pauli-forbidden transition to the ground state already occupied by two electrons. We will describe the VIP2 experimental setup, which is taking data at LNGS presently. The goal of VIP2 is to test the PEP for electrons with unprecedented accuracy, down to a limit in the probability that PEP is violated at the level of 10−31. We will present current experimental results and discuss implications of a possible violation