Comparison of Development and Larval Growth of Four Venerid Clams

The development and larval morphology of four venerid calms, Ruditapes philippinarum, Mactra veneriformis, Cyclina sinensis , and Meretrix lusoria , which cohabit the intertidal zone in western coastal Korea, were compared using laboratory culture techniques. At 87 μm, the fertilized eggs of C. sinensis and M. lusoria were the largest and at 53 μm, those of M. veneriformis were the smallest. D-shaped larvae of M. lusoriu were the largest and those of M. veneriformis were the smallest measuring at 135 μm and 89 μm, respectively. D-shaped larvae of R. philippinarum and M. lusoria had symmetrical shoulder angles and an elliptical ventral form, in contrast to the asymmetrical shoulder angles and round ventral forms of M. veneriformis and C. sinensis . In general, pediveliger larvae of all species in the study were yellow, but those of M. veneriforks and C sinenis were a more pronounced yellow. In between the early D-shaped and pediveliger stage, 7 and 17 d elapsed for M. lusonia and C. sinensis larvae, respectively. In the early larval stages for all species, the sheU length was longer than the height. However, shell length and height later became approximately the same size in all species except R. philippinarum , which exhibited a flat shape. These results indicate that for these four venerid clams, the different characteristics in larval growth and external morphology provide the evidence necessary for larval identification of natural seed production despite the fact that they spawn concurrently in the intertidal zone.     

Isolation of cholinesterase-inhibiting flavonoids from Morus lhou

Cholinesterases are key enzymes that play important roles in cholinergic transmission. Nine flavonoids displaying cholinesterase inhibitory activity were isolated from the root bark of Morus lhou L., a cultivated edible plant. The isolated compounds were identified as a new flavone (1), 5'-geranyl-5,7,2',4'-tetrahydroxyflavone (2), kuwanon U (3), kuwanon E (4), morusin (5), morusinol (6), cyclomorusin (7), neocyclomorusin (8), and kuwanon C (9). All compounds apart from compound 6 inhibited cholinesterase enzyme in a dose-dependent manner with K(i) values ranging between 3.1 and 37.5 μM and between 1.7 and 19.1 μM against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes, respectively. The new compound was charactierized as 5'-geranyl-4'-methoxy-5,7,2'-trihydroxyflavone (1). It showed the most potent inhibitory activity (K(i) = 3.1 μM for AChE, K(i) = 1.74 μM for BChE). Lineweaver-Burk and Dixon plots and their secondary replots indicated that flavones (5-9) with prenyl substitution on C-3 were noncompetitive inhibitors, whereas those unsubstituted (1-4) at C-3 were mixed inhibitors of both AChE and BChE. In conclusion, this is the first study to demonstrate that alkylated flavonoids of M. lhou have potent inhibitory activities against AChE and BChE.     

Compensatory Growth of Juvenile Olive Flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus L., and Changes in Proximate Composition and Body Condition Indexes during Fasting and after Refeeding in Summer Season

Compensatory growth of juvenile olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus L., and changes in proximate composition and body condition indexes of fish during fasting and after refeeding were investigated during the summer season. Groups of 25 fish each (initial body weight of 16 g) were randomly distributed into fifteen 180‐L flow‐through tanks. Fish were fed the experimental diet containing crude protein 46.9% and crude lipid 8.0% with estimated energy level of 14.6 kJ/g diet for 6 d/wk. Five treatments in triplicate were prepared for this study: C, S1, S2, S3, and S4. Fish in the control group (C) were hand‐fed to apparent satiation twice daily. Fish in treatments S1, S2, S3, and S4 experienced 1, 2, 3, and 4 wk of starvation and were then hand‐fed to apparent satiation twice daily during the remaining 7, 6, 5, and 4 wk of the experiment, respectively. A group of starved fish in the similar size was stocked and fasted throughout the 8‐wk feeding trial for chemical and blood analysis. The feeding trial lasted for 8 wk. Weight of fish linearly decreased with week of starvation (P < 0.0001). Linear relationship between condition factor (CF) and hepatosomatic index (HSI) against week of starvation was observed in the starved group of fish. Survival was not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by feeding strategy. However, weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) of olive flounder in C, S1, and S2 were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of fish in S3 and S4. The poorest weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) were obtained in fish of S4. Feed consumption of olive flounder in C, S1, and S2 was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of fish in S3 and S4. Feed efficiency, protein efficiency ratio, and protein retention of olive flounder in C and S1 were not significantly (P > 0.05) different from those of fish in S2 but significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of fish in S3 and S4. Hematocrit, CF, and HSI of olive flounder were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by feeding strategy. Chemical composition of fish was not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by feeding strategy. In considering these results, it can be concluded that juvenile olive flounder have the ability to fully compensate for 2‐wk feed deprivation during the summer season. Besides, feed efficiency in fish fed for 7 and 6 wk after 1‐ and 2‐wk feed deprivation was comparable to that in fish fed for 8 wk.     

Reevaluation of the Dietary Protein Requirements and Optimum Dietary Protein to Energy Ratios in Japanese Eel, Anguilla japonica

A 2 × 3 factorial design was used to reevaluate the dietary protein requirements and to determine the optimum dietary protein to energy (P/E) ratios in Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, reared in the recirculating system. For each of two experiments, six experimental diets (₄₅P₁₆, ₄₅P₁₇, ₄₅P₁₉, ₅₀P₁₆, ₅₀P₁₇, and ₅₀P₁₉) were formulated and prepared to contain two protein levels (45 and 50%) and three energy levels (16, 17, and 19 kJ/g diet) at each protein level. In the first experiment, glass eel of initial weight 0.1 ± 0.02 g (mean ± SD) were used, while the second experiment was conducted with juvenile eel of initial weight 15.0 ± 3 g (mean ± SD). The first and second experimental periods were 6 and 16 wk for the glass and juvenile eel, respectively. At the end of the first experiment, there were no protein, energy, and their interaction effects. Also, there were no significant differences in weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed efficiency (FE), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) for glass Japanese eel fed all diets. Although there were no significant differences in growth parameters of glass eel fed all experimental diets, these parameters were higher for fish fed ₅₀P₁₆ than for fish fed the other diets. For the second experiment, there were significant protein effects on WG, SGR, and PER (P < 0.05). However, there were neither significant energy effects nor protein and energy interaction effects on WG, SGR, FE, and PER. Fish fed ₄₅P₁₉ had a higher WG, SGR, and PER than did fish fed ₄₅P₁₆, ₅₀P₁₆, and ₅₀P₁₉ (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in growth parameters among fish fed ₄₅P₁₆, ₄₅P₁₇, ₅₀P₁₆, ₅₀P₁₇, and ₅₀P₁₉ and among those fed ₄₅P₁₇, ₄₅P₁₉, and ₅₀P₁₇. These results may indicate that the optimum dietary protein requirement and the P/E ratio could be 44.3% and 24.1 mg protein/kJ (₄₅P₁₉), respectively, in juvenile Japanese eel, based on WG, SGR, and PER.     

Evaluation of new phospholipid MPCE finishing agent for polyester

Phospholipid polymer having zwitterion polar group and cell membrane structure is known as highly biocompatible and its functionality of skin care effect was already verified. In this study, new biocompatible multi-functional textile finishing agents based on phospholipid 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPCE) copolymer was developed and applied to polyesters to characterize the functionalities of the finishing agents. Also the biocompatibilities and skin care properties of the MPCE finishing agents were confirmed by single-dose patch test and skin barrier function recovery test.     

Genotypic prevalence of the fimbrial adhesins (F4, F5, F6, F41 and F18) and toxins (LT, STa, STb and STx2e) in Escherichia coli isolated from postweaning pigs with diarrhoea or oedema disease in Korea

A PCR was used to determine the genotypic prevalence of five fimbrial adhesins (F4, F5, F6, F41 and F18), two heat-stable enterotoxins (STa and STb), the heat-labile enterotoxin (LT), and the shiga toxin 2e (Stx2e) in 230 isolates of Escherichia coli from postweaning pigs with diarrhoea or oedema disease. Ninety-four (40.9 per cent) of the isolates carried genes for at least one of the fimbrial adhesins or toxins. Genes for the F18 fimbrial adhesin were detected in 18.3 per cent, and genes for F4, F6, F5 and F41 were detected in 10.0 per cent, 4.3 per cent, 1.7 per cent and 0.8 per cent of the isolates, respectively. Genes for STa, STb and LT were detected in 25.7 per cent, 15.2 per cent and 8.7 per cent of the isolates, respectively. Genes for Stx2e were detected in 36 (15.6 per cent) of the isolates, and among them 24 also contained the gene for F18ab and four also contained the gene for F18ac.     

Feed contaminated with classical swine fever vaccine virus (LOM strain) can induce antibodies to the virus in pigs

In November 2004, antibodies to classical swine fever virus (csfv) were detected in finishing pigs during the annual serological surveillance in Jeju Province, Korea. In addition, csf vaccine viruses (lom strain) had recently been isolated from pigs raised on farms known to have csfv antibody-positive pigs. In contrast with mainland Korea, Jeju Province had been csf free and its pigs had not been vaccinated against csf for more than five years. An epidemiological investigation team from the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service investigated the current status of csf prevention on the Korean mainland and in Jeju Province to determine possible routes of introduction of the virus into the province. It was concluded that improperly processed blood meals, manufactured on mainland Korea, had been contaminated with the csf vaccine lom strain, and that the lom strain had been transmitted to pigs fed feed or feedstuffs containing the contaminated meal.     

Hypercalcemia and high parathyroid hormone-related peptide concentration in a dog with a complex mammary carcinoma

A 10-year-old female Dachshund was presented with a history of mammary masses, slight lethargy, polyuria, and polydipsia. Physical examination findings included masses involving the first, second, and fourth mammary glands of the left side. The mandibular, axillary, and right popliteal lymph nodes were mildly enlarged. Serum chemistry results included hypercalcemia (13.9 mg/dL, reference interval 8.0-11.5 mg/dL). Although intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentration (1.05 pmol/L) was below the reference interval (2-13 pmol/L), PTH-related protein (PTHrP) concentration was markedly increased (9.40 pmol/L, reference value < 2 pmol/L). The masses were surgically removed, and the histopathologic diagnosis was complex mammary carcinoma. Three weeks after surgery, serum total calcium concentration had decreased to 10.5 mg/dL. Resolution of the hypercalcemia and clinical signs supported a diagnosis of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy associated with mammary gland carcinoma.     

Pyelonephritis associated with Staphylococcus intermedius in a Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

Pyelonephritis, in which Staphylococcus intermedius was isolated, was diagnosed in a 4-year-old female Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). At necropsy, the renal pelvis was dilated with a large amount of purulent exudates. Microscopically, the lesions of renal pelvis and medulla consisted of necrotic foci intermingled primarily with numerous degenerative neutrophils and a few lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages. Bacteriology showed the presence of S. intermedius. This is the first report on pyelonephritis associated with S. intermedius in wild felidae.