Impact of starvation on digestive enzymes activities and plasma metabolites in Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii,Brandt, 1869)

To increase the current knowledge about the relationship between nutritional status and the digestive capacity of Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii), we addressed the effect of starvation‐refeeding and macronutrient composition on growth parameters and key digestive enzyme activities in A. baerii. Acipenser baerii juveniles were fed four different diets for 3 weeks, then starved for 2 weeks and allowed to refed for 5 weeks with the same diets. Another group of fish were fed 10 weeks with the corresponding diets. Among 10‐week fed fish, high‐protein diets promoted higher body weight values, while the lowest specific growth rate was observed in fish fed a low‐protein, medium‐carbohydrate, high‐lipid diet (p < .05). At the end of the experiment, in fish refed for 5 weeks following a feeding‐starvation cycle and in 10‐week fed animals, the higher levels of blood glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol were found in fish fed low‐protein diets (p < .05). In all treatments, 2 weeks of starvation decreased α‐amylase activity in the intestine (p < .05), while 4 days of refeeding increased lipase (p > .05) and α‐amylase activity in the intestine as well as pepsin in the stomach (p < .05). Our findings suggest that A. baerii maintains a high capacity to digest proteins and lipids after 2 weeks of starvation and that α‐amylase can be used as an indicator of the nutritional status in fish submitted to starvation‐refeeding cycles. Indeed, refeeding with high‐protein and CHO:L ratio diets after starvation could improve the growth rate of A. baerii in culture.     

Genetic analysis of growth rate and Kleiber ratio in Zandi sheep

Genetic parameters for average daily gain from birth to weaning (ADGa), birth to 6 months (ADGb), weaning to 6 months (ADGc), weaning to yearling age (ADGd), and corresponding Kleiber ratios (KRa, KRb, KRc, and KRd) were estimated by using records of 3,533 Zandi lambs, descendent of 163 sires and 1265 dams, born between 1991 and 2005 at the Zandi Sheep Breeding Station at Khojir National Park, Tehran, Iran. A derivative-free algorithm combined with a series of six single-trait linear animal models was used to estimate phenotypic variance and its direct, maternal, and residual components. In addition, bivariate analyses were done to estimate (co)variance components between traits. Estimates of direct heritability (h ² ) were 0.11, 0.15, 0.09, 0.10, 0.10, 0.10, 0.06, and 0.07 for ADGa, ADGb, ADGc, ADGd, KRa, KRb, KRc, and KRd, respectively, thereby indicating the presence of low additive genetic variation for growth rate and Kleiber ratio in this population of Zandi sheep. Maternal genetic component was found to be significant on ADGa and KRa and contributed 3% and 5%, respectively, in total phenotypic variance of ADGa and KRa. A widespread range of genetic correlations among traits studied was observed. Except for negative genetic correlations between ADGa and KRc, ADGa and KRd, and between KRa and KRc, in other cases, genetic correlations were positive and moderate to very high. Phenotypic correlations ranged from −0.49 (ADGa/KRd) to 0.94 (ADGc/KRc). These results indicate that selecting for improved growth rate or Kleiber ratio in Zandi sheep would generate a relatively slow genetic progress.     

RSM and ANN approaches for modeling and optimizing of electrospun polyurethane nanofibers morphology

This paper focused on using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) to analyze polyurethane (PU) nanofibers morphology synthesized by electrospinning. The process was characterized in detail by using experimental design to determine the parameters that may affect the nanofibers morphology such as polymer concentration, a tip to collector distance and applied voltage. It was concluded that solution concentration plays an important role (relative importance of 79.85 %) against nanofibers diameter and its standard deviation. Based on the results, applied voltage has a different effect on the nanofiber diameter at low and high solution concentrations. Moreover, the tip to collector distance parameter has no significant impact on the average nanofiber diameter. The finest PU nanofiber (201 nm) was obtained from experimental under conditions of: 9 w/v% polymer concentrations, 12 cm tip to collector distance and 16 kV applied voltage. The results show a very good agreement between the experimental and modeled data. It was demonstrated that both models (specially, in case of neural network) are excellent for predicting diameter of PU nanofibers. Furthermore, numerical optimization has been performed by considering desirability function to access the region in design space that introduces minimum average diameter.     

Plant selection method for urban landscapes of semi-arid cities (a case study of Tehran)

Choosing appropriate plants for urban landscapes is vital to avoid potential financial and environmental losses that may occur if all selection parameters are not taken into account. A methodology has been developed to assist landscape architects, planting designers, and urban horticulturists in the plant selection process. Tehran has been picked as a case study due to its arid and semi-arid climate which poses more challenges in front of an expert. After grouping plants, selection parameters have been defined for each plant group. Plant species were comparatively graded for each parameter by a group of eight specialists. Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique and hierarchical cluster analysis have been utilized to find the most adaptable plant species for the area according to the main selection parameters of zone tolerance, urban conditions, esthetics, maintenance, growth characteristics, and specific features. Several new plants were ranked high in the final tables suggesting that the urban landscape of Tehran has a great potential to become more attractive, less allergic, and less costly, as well as consuming less water. Before introducing new plants to the urban environment, they should be experimented on in small numbers for several years to confirm that they will not change the ecology of the whole region through invasion or posing a threat to any local plant species.     

Comparison of some physiological aspects of drought stress resistance in two ground cover genus

Owing to high water requirements of turfgrass, it is essential to find suitable turfgrasses for cultivation in arid and semi-arid conditions. For this purpose, physiological responses of Agropyron desertorum and Poa pratensis cv. “Barimpala” that were subjected to outdoor with holding irrigation were evaluated. Seeds of these two genuses were cultured in polyvinyl chloride tubes and were irrigated daily until drainage occurred. After establishment, irrigation was stopped until leaf wilting occurred. P. pratensis and A. desertorum were wilted during 15 and 20 days after drought treatment, respectively. Turf quality and relative water content were decreased due to drought stress, butthe extent of decrease in A. desertorum was less than that it was in P. pratensis. Five days after stress, malondialdehyde levels increased in P. pratensis more quickly than A. desertorum, while electrolyte leakage rose immediately after with holding irrigation in these genuses. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the two stressed plants increased and then decreased with stress development. In these conditions activities of AT, 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, peroxidase and glutathione peroxidase had a similar pattern in P. pratensis, while A. desertorum showed continuous increase in these enzyme activities.     

The effect of supplementing diets with extracts derived from three different species of macroalgae on growth,thermal stress resistance,antioxidant enzyme activities and skin colour of electric yellow cichlid (Labidochromis caeruleus)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the growth, thermal stress resistance, antioxidant enzyme activities and skin colour of Labidochromis caeruleus (electric yellow cichlid) fed the diets supplemented with extracts derived from brown macroalga Sargassum boveanum, red macroalga Gracilaria persica and green macroalga Entromorpha intestinalis. One hundred and forty‐four fish were randomly distributed into 12 tanks and subjected to cold‐shock stress after 8 weeks of feeding the diets containing 1,000 mg extracts of macroalgae. Supplementation of fish diet with algal extracts led to improved growth performance (including higher final weight and weight gain) when compared to the control group, which was fed the non‐supplemented diet. The survival rate after cold‐shock stress was significantly higher in those fish fed the diets containing macroalgal extracts, especially E. intestinalis extract (75%). The superoxide dismutase activity in all dietary treatments was significantly lower than control, whereas no significant difference in the activities of catalase and lysozyme was observed among treatments. In addition, inclusion of macroalgal extracts in the diet resulted in higher a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values compared to the control group. These results suggest that macroalgal extracts, especially E. intestinalis extract, can be used as feed additive for increasing antioxidants capacities as well as enhancing pigmentation in electric yellow cichlid.     

Experimental and numerical analysis of fiber characteristics effects on fiber dispersion for wet-laid nonwoven

Dispersion and separation of fiber bundles into individual fibers, requires exposing them to a shear stress field to overcome inter-fiber frictional forces. To this end, fiber-mixing tanks are usually used to enhance shear and agitation in water and help the dispersion process. The required time and necessary agitation to separate and disperse fibers depend on fibers’ characteristics. It is well known that excessive agitation will give rise to the formation of rope defects in the output because of the high-energy vortices and optimizing the break up time is important in wet-lay process. In this work, experimental and numerical studies were done to investigate the effects of fiber characteristics on their dispersion in water for wet-laid nonwoven. The effective forces were analyzed using a one-way modeling of fiber behaviors in a stirred mixing tank. Results show that when the fiber diameter is increased, the required time for breaking up of fiber bundles and clumps is increased. The effects of fiber types on fibers break up and dispersing time, were also investigated. In the experimental work, an on-line vision system was designed to observe the dispersion behavior of polyester fibers. The effects of fiber length and fineness on the created defects (i.e. logs and ropes) in dispersion process, as well as on the dispersion speed, were studied. The results confirm that defects are increased by rising fiber length and fineness. It is also shown that increasing fiber length and fineness, decreases the required time for fiber clumps to be opened and reach a maximum number of individual fibers. On the other hand, when fiber length and fineness is increased, the dispersion speed increases.