Growth,survival, and fatty acid composition of Indian white shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fenneropenaeus indicus</Emphasis> (Milne Edwards) fed diets containing different levels of vitamin E and lipid

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of two levels of vitamin E (100 and 300 mg/kg diet) along with two levels of lipid (9 and 14%) and their interaction on growth performance of Indian white shrimp and consequently to evaluate the fatty acid composition and lipid stability of its muscle tissue during frozen storage. Growth of juvenile Indian white shrimp was not significantly affected by dietary vitamin E and lipid levels. Muscle lipid content of shrimp fed diets with 14% lipid was significantly higher than that of with 9% lipid. Obvious effects of the increase in dietary lipid level on muscle fatty acid composition were significant decrease in proportion of 16:0 and increase in proportion of 20:5n-3. The content of vitamin E concentration in shrimp muscle reflected dietary vitamin E concentration and ranged from 6.68 to 14.8 mg/kg muscle corresponding to two (100 and 300 mg/kg) levels of vitamin E in fish diet, respectively. Subsequently, results showed that by increasing the concentration of vitamin E from 100 to 300 mg/kg in diet, the rate of lipid oxidation in the muscle tissue during frozen storage was reduced and, as a result, caused higher HUFA retention in muscle of shrimp fed diet with high lipid level.     

Death and Transfiguration of a Triple Junction in the South Atlantic

Three major lithospheric plates-Antarctic, South American, and African-meet in the South Atlantic near Bouvet Island where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR), and the American Antarctic Ridge converge toward a fast evolving triple junction. A major magmatic pulse has recently built a new, swollen segment of the SWIR (Spiess Ridge) that is propagating toward the MAR at a rate of 4 to 5 centimeters per year, disrupting a former ridge-ridge-ridge (RRR) triple junction. A new triple junction will be established about 70 kilometers to the north when the propagating SWIR/Spiess segment will impact with the MAR, probably within the next 1 million years. The American Antarctic Ridge will take advantage of the MAR/SWIR duel by capturing an approximately 70-kilometer stretch of MAR, whereas the Antarctic plate will increase its size.     

Impact of different inclusion levels of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) fronds on fatty acid profiles of goat muscles

The effects of different inclusion levels of oil palm fronds (OPF) on the fatty acid profile of the longissimus dorsi (LD), biceps femoris (BF) and infraspinatus (IS) muscle of goats fed for 100 days are described. Twenty‐four individually housed Kacang crossbred male goats (averaged 21.7 ± 0.97 kg BW) were allocated to three groups receiving either a 100% concentrate control diet (CON), diet with 25% inclusion level of OPF (HAF) or a diet with 50% inclusion of OPF. The diets were adjusted to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous and fed at 3.0% of BW daily. Samples of LD, BF and IS muscles were taken at slaughter for the determination of fatty acid profiles. The total saturated fatty acids (SFA) in the LD and BF muscles of the OPF group were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than the CON group. For all muscles, C18:3n‐3 and total n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the OPF group than the CON group with minimal impact on the C18:2n‐6 and total n‐6PUFA. Consequently, the n‐6:n‐3 ratio significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in the OPF group compared to the CON group. The LD muscle had a significantly higher conjugated linoleic acid 18:2 c19t11 compared to other muscles. There were no interactions between muscle x diet except for total SFA. It is concluded that OPF at 25–50% inclusion levels may decrease the SFA and increase the n‐3PUFA content in chevon, with no apparent adverse effects on the growth performance of the animals, can be used as a feed ingredient to support goat farming in countries that lack grazing pasture.     

Effects of Sodium Alginate and Chitosan Coating Combined with Three Different Essential Oils on Microbial and Chemical Attributes of Rainbow Trout Fillets

ABSTRACT

Meat products, such as fish meat, are known to be susceptible to undesirable chemical and microbial reactions that characterize spoilage. In this study, the effect of a sodium alginate and chitosan coating incorporated with Mentha piperita, Artemisia dracunculus, and Zataria multiflora essential oils on chemical and microbial attributes of rainbow trout meat was evaluated during storage at 4°C. Chemical and microbial assays were performed on rainbow trout fillets with alginate and chitosan coatings and 0.2% concentration of test essential oils. The results showed that the alginate coating with essential oils significantly decreased production of thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) and reduced the growth of foodborne spoilage bacteria during storage at 4ºC. At day 12, the best results were obtained in chitosan coating + Z. multiflora, with 5.96 ± 0.12, 4.93 ± 0.12, and 3.83 ± 0.2 for total viable counts, psychrotrophic bacterial count, and lactic acid bacteria count, respectively. Moreover, the lowest amounts of chemical analysis were observed in chitosan coating + Z. multiflora at the final day (0.54 ± 0.03 and 20.31 ± 0.1 for TBA and TVBN, respectively). Our study revealed that essential oils can be used as effective natural components against undesirable chemical and microbial reactions in fish meat.     

Vitrification of mouse preantral follicles versus slow freezing: Morphological and apoptosis evaluation

The aim of this study was evaluation of survivability, maturation rate and apoptotic gene expression of preantral follicles after vitrification and slow freezing technique. Normal mouse preantral follicles were randomly divided into three experimental groups. In the control group, follicles were cultured immediately; in the vitrification and slow freezing groups, follicles were cultured after vitrification‐warming and slow freezing‐thawing procedures. Follicular viability was assessed by using 0.4% trypan blue, and molecular evaluation of messenger RNA levels of apoptosis‐related genes was performed by the semi‐quantitative RT‐PCR method after 3 h of culture. Oocyte maturation rates were also evaluated on day 14 of culture. Survival and maturation rate in the slow freezing group were significantly lower than those in control and vitrification groups (P ≤ 0.05). Although there was no difference in Survivin expression among the three experimental groups, Bcl‐2 expression was significantly lower in the slow freezing group compared to the other groups (P ≤ 0.05). The expression of Bax, P53, Fas and Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio in the slow freezing group was significantly higher than control and vitrification groups (P ≤ 0.05). Preantral follicle vitrification seems to be better than slow freezing as seen in the survival, maturation and expression rates of apoptotic gene variants.     

Wounds of the pastern and foot region managed with phalangeal casts: 50 cases in 49 horses (1995–2006)

Objective   Describe the use of a phalangeal cast as treatment for wounds in the pastern and foot region of horses. Secondly, to evaluate the healing and soundness of horses treated with phalangeal casts.
Design   Retrospective study of 49 horses.
Procedures   Medical records of 49 horses that were treated with a phalangeal cast for 50 cases of wounds in the pastern and foot region at equine referral hospitals from 1995 to 2006 were reviewed and follow-up information was obtained.
Results   Treatment consisted of wound debridement, lavage, wound closure (28 wounds), cast application and antibiotics (84%). At follow-up, the majority of horses were sound (42 of 47 wounds, 89.4%), three horses were still lame and one horse was euthanased because of persistent lameness. Three horses were lost to follow-up. There was no statistical difference between the outcomes of horses treated acutely (<24 h) or after a 24-h delay. Similarly, the involvement of synovial structures in the wound did not significantly influence outcome.
Conclusions   In this study, wounds involving the pastern and foot that were treated with a phalangeal cast carried a good prognosis for soundness (89.4%) and cosmetic healing (89.5%). The phalangeal casts were well-tolerated and effective.     

Analysis of factors affecting diagonal tension and compression capacity of corner joints in furniture frames fabricated with dovetail key

This study was conducted to analyze the effect of joint type, and numbers and types of dovetail keys on diagonal tension and compression performance of corner joints in a furniture frame. Joint members were cut from white fir lumber. Butted and mitered joints were constructed with one and two dovetail key(s) with butterfly and H shapes. Joints were glued by polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) and cynoacrylate (CA). Compression capacity of joints was higher than diagonal tension. Mitered joints were stronger than butted ones. Butterfly dovetail keys were superior to H shape keys. Double keys performed better than single key. Experimental joints glued with PVAc were stronger than those glued with CA glue and control specimens. In terms of strength, butterfly dovetailed joints were comparable with doweled joints.     

Treatment of anovulatory anoestrous postpartum dairy cows with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), prostaglandin F2𝛂, GnRH regimen or with progesterone and oestradiol benzoate

AIM: To compare 2 treatments for anovulatory anoestrus (AA) in postpartum dairy cows. The treatments were combinations of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and prostaglandin F_2𝛂 (PG) or progesterone (P4) and oestradiol benzoate (ODB).

METHODS: Forty AA cows from each of 5 herds were blocked by age (2 or >2 years old) and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments. The first group (GPG) were treated with 250 𝛍g of a GnRH analogue, gonadorelin, followed 7 days later by 15 mg of the PG analogue, luprostiol. Two days later the cows were injected with 250 𝛍g of gonadorelin. Cows were artificially inseminated 16–24 h after the second GnRH injection. The second group (P4+ODB) were treated with an intravaginal P4 releasing device for 6 days, followed 24 h after device removal by injection of 1 mg of ODB. Cows were pregnancy tested 35–40 days after the initial insemination and twice again at 6–8 week intervals thereafter.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference between P4+ODB and GPG groups in the percentage of cows submitted for insemination in the first 7 days (94.0% vs 100% for P4+ODB vs GPG, respectively; p>0.3), in conception rate to first insemination within the first 7 days (43.6% vs 35.0% for P4+ODB vs GPG, respectively; p>0.2), in the percentage of cows conceiving in the first 28 days of the breeding period (68.0% vs 58.3%, P4+ODB vs GPG, respectively; p>0.1), or in median interval from the end of treatment to conception (20 vs 21days;p>0.1).

CONCLUSIONS: No differences in the reproductive performance of AA cows treated with either P4+ODB or GPG were detected. However, given the small number of animals enrolled, further data are required before the GPG protocol can be recommended for treatment of AA cows.     

Effects of dietary green tea (Camellia sinensis L) on acute stress responses in sturgeon hybrid (Huso huso ♂ × Acipenser ruthenus ♀)

In aquaculture practices, fish commonly confront environmental alterations and unavoidable stresses. Thus, any substance that could attenuate stress responses could be potentially used in aquaculture. A total number of 90 hybrid sturgeons (Huso huso ♂ × Acipenser ruthenus ♀) with an average weight of 212.6 ± 0.7 g were fed experimental diets containing 0, 50 and 100 mg kg^?1 green tea (Camellia sinensis L) for 6 weeks. Subsequently 15 fish from each treatment were exposed to air for 5 min prior to transfer to the recovery tank. Followed by blood sampling after 1, 2, 5 and 12 h, Serum cortisol increased in all treatments, but the intensity was significantly lower in fish fed green tea compared to the control group. Similarly, the green tea diet attenuated the increase in serum levels of glucose and lactate in comparison to the control. Our results showed that green tea could be added to fish diet to attenuate stress responses in Sturgeon hybrid (Huso huso ♂ × Acipenser ruthenus ♀).