Influence of gestation on blood plasma concentrations of oestrone and oestrone sulphate in Karan Swiss cows and Murrah buffaloes

Single blood samples from 106 pregnant and seven non-pregnant Karan Swiss cows and 104 pregnant and nine non-pregnant Murrah buffaloes were measured for oestrone and oestrone sulphate hormones by radioimmunoassay. Mean plasma oestrone level was below detection limit (less than 2.5 pg/ml) in non-pregnant and 1 month pregnant cows and buffaloes. In cows the mean oestrone level fluctuated narrowly between 10.25 and 26.65 pg/ml between the second and eight months of pregnancy, followed by a steep rise in the ninth and especially in the tenth month (151.24 pg/ml). In buffaloes mean oestrone concentrations were lower and fluctuated between 14.81 and 23.56 pg/ml during the second to ninth months of pregnancy, rising sharply in the tenth month to a peak of 47.37 pg/ml. Mean oestrone sulphate levels were below detection limit (less than 16 pg/ml) during non-pregnancy, first and second months of pregnancy in cows, increasing sharply thereafter to a peak of 6401.38 pg/ml in the tenth month of pregnancy. In buffaloes, low mean levels of oestrone sulphate were recorded in the non-pregnant and up to the fourth month of pregnancy with the levels rising sharply thereafter to a peak of 6559.82 pg/ml in the tenth month. The hormone levels were not significantly different in the two species (P greater than 0.01). The possibility of using oestrone sulphate measurement as a test of pregnancy confirmation has been indicated for both species.     

Determination of optimal feeding rates for juvenile lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) fed a formulated dry diet

Two 3‐week growth trials were performed to determine the optimum feeding rate of juvenile lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) fed with a semi‐purified dry diet (protein, 440 g; lipid, 130 g/kg) at different feeding rates: 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 g/kg body weight per day (BW/.d‐1), for 36 g‐sized fish; and 2.5, 5, 10, 20, and 30 g/kg BW/.d‐1, for 80 g sized fish. Feeding rates significantly influenced growth performances, feed conversion ratio, wholebody lipid and moisture contents, energy and protein retention, and fasted blood glucose levels (p < 0.05). The ratio of total C/total N measured in whole fish was positively correlated to the feeding rates and the lipid contents of whole fish. Suboptimal feeding significantly depressed growth performance and protein synthesis based on the measurement of RNA/DNA ratio in white muscle. Based on polynomial regression models, an optimal feeding rate to support the maximum growth, protein and energy retention was 34.5, 22 and 27.3 g/kg BW/.d‐1, respectively, for fish sized at 36–72 g; and 29.0, 16.9 and 19.9 g/kg BW/.d‐1, respectively for fish sized at 80–140 g. Results of this study will benefit future research to develop practical feeds to replace frozen live feed and feed management for lake sturgeon.     

Effects of alcohol extract of defatted soybean meal on growth performance and digestive physiology of yellowtail <Emphasis Type="Italic">Seriola quinqueradiata</Emphasis>

The effects of alcohol extract of soybean meal on growth performance, digestibility, and pancreatic enzyme and bile acid status of yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata were studied. Fish were fed one of the following for 8 weeks: a fish meal (FM) control diet (FMD), a defatted soybean meal diet (SBMD), an alcohol-extracted SBM diet (ExSBMD), an ExSBMD with alcohol-extract diet (ExSBM + ExtD), and an FMD with alcohol-extract diet (FM + ExtD). Growth performance was significantly inferior in fish fed with SBM, ExSBM + ExtD, and FM + ExtD compared to FMD- or ExSBMD-fed fish. Total bile acid levels, and trypsin and lipase activities in the anterior intestine were significantly lower in fish fed with SBM, ExSBM + ExtD, and FM + ExtD than in fish fed with ExSBMD and FMD, despite similar values in gallbladder or pyloric caeca. Cholecystokinin mRNA levels of the former diet-fed fish were significantly lower than those of FMD- or ExSBMD-fed fish. Lipid and protein digestibility of fish fed with SBMD, ExSBM + ExtD, and FM + ExtD was significantly reduced in comparison with that of fish fed with FMD or ExSBMD. These findings indicate that the alcohol extract of soybean meal inhibited the secretion of bile acids and pancreatic enzymes by a decrease of cholecystokinin stimulation. This inhibition seemed to be responsible for a low growth performance through impairment of the assimilation of lipid and protein.     

Utilization of fermented soybean meal for fishmeal substitution in diets of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Two feeding experiments were carried out to evaluate the utilization of fermented soybean meal (FSBM) in diets for Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). The digestibility experiment was assessed with four diets: a reference diet and three ingredient test diets containing FSBM, local and Chilean fishmeal. The growth experiment was conducted including four isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets formulated to contain the graded levels of dietary fishmeal (0 g/kg, 150 g/kg, 300 g/kg and 450 g/kg) substituted by FSBM. The results indicated that ADCs of crude protein in FSBM were high (888.4 g/kg) and equal in local fishmeal but little lower than Chilean fishmeal while without any significant differences observed in ADCs of crude lipid among the different test ingredients. After 75 days of growth trial, survival rates and feed conversion ratio were not significantly different among the experimental treatments. However, shrimp fed the diets with increasing inclusions of FSBM had a tendency to reduce weight gain and specific growth rate. Based on the correlation between weight gain and substituted fishmeal level analysed by broken‐line regression, the optimum level of fishmeal replaced by FSBM in diet was 253.6 g/kg without adverse effects on growth and feed utilization of Pacific white shrimp.     

Interspecific hybridization and caste specificity of protein in fire ant

One natural population of fire ant in Texas was found to be a hybrid between Solenopsis geminata and S. xyloni. Evidence from isozyme studies and breeding experiments is provided to demonstrate interspecific hybridization in ants. In this hybrid population, all worker ants have both parental types of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-malate dehydrogenase isozymes, but 95 percent of queens possess only the maternal type.     

A new technique of feeding, repeated sampling of blood and continuous collection of urine in white sturgeon

A new technique combining oesophageal intubation, dorsal aorta cannulation, and urinary catheterization was developed to monitor concentration of nutrients in the blood circulation and their metabolites in the urine of 1–2 kg white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus. Three experiments were conducted to assess the technique based on: (1) quantitative delivery of nutrients; (2) stress levels post-operation; and (3) monitoring of nutrients in the blood and metabolites in the urine. In Experiment 1, recovery of intubated Cr₂O₃ was 105±5% (mean ± SEM, n=3) 3 h after intubation. In Experiment 2, plasma cortisol and glucose concentrations returned to respective basal levels of 8.2±1.8 ng ml^–1 and 74± mg dl^–1 (n=9) 48 h post-operation. In Experiment 3, sturgeon intubated with 1 g kg^–1 body weight of glucose or dextrin at 48 h post-operation showed a significantly different (p<0.05) peak plasma glucose level of 139±4 and 100±5 mg dl^–1 (n=5), respectively, at 4 h. Urinary glucose excretion was 1.8±0.9 mg kg^–1 h^–1 (n=5) 4–8 h after intubation with glucose. Our results show that the new technique allows quantitative delivery of nutrients, repeated sampling of blood, and continuous collection of urine in white sturgeon with minimum stress.     

Galileo Gravity Results and the Internal Structure of Io

Doppler data generated with the Galileo spacecraft's radio carrier wave were used to measure Io's external gravitational field. The resulting triaxial field is consistent with the assumption that Io is in tidal and rotational equilibrium. The inescapable conclusion is that it has a large metallic core. If the core is a eutectic mixture of iron and iron sulfide, it comprises 20.2 ± 7.4 percent of the satellite's total mass with a radius that is about 52 percent of Io's mean radius of 1821.3 kilometers; if the core is pure iron, it comprises 10.5 ± 3.7 percent of the total mass with a radius of about 36 percent of the mean radius.