Effect of dietary incorporation of natural attractants on growth and survival during seed rearing of Indian butter catfish, Ompok bimaculatus

Aim: The objective of the study was to assess the effect of dietary incorporation of different feed attractants viz. tubifex, earthworm and fish meal on growth and survival of O. bimaculatus (pabda fish) fry. Methodology: Fifty numbers of fifteen days weaned fry (0.105±0.008g; 2.14±0.14cm) were stocked into each aerated aquariums (30.0 x 15.0 x 15.0 cm) following a completely randomized design (CRD) consisting of four treatments including the control with three replicates each. Four iso-nitrogenous purified diets were prepared including three treatment diets with attractants (5%) by replacing an appropriate amount of casein and cellulose and fed to the fishes twice daily. Results: Results from the study showed that growth of fry as measured by final weight, weight gain, mean daily weight gain and specific growth rate of fries were significantly (p<0.05) higher in tubifex supplemented group and lower in control group. Survival was significantly higher in tubifex supplemented group (42.66±1.3%) and lower in control group. Moreover, other yield parameters such as total biomass, condition factor and performance index also followed the same trend as survival. Further, higher protease activity was found in control group (2.233±0.038 units mg protein-1 min-1) followed by earthworm (0.354±0.031 mg protein-1 min-1) supplemented group (p<0.05). The lipase and amylase activity were higher (p<0.05) in tubifex and control groups, respectively. Interpretation: It could be concluded that the dietary supplementation of tubifex at 5% inclusion level could be a promising aquaculture feeding strategy for pabda fish due to its rich nutrient content, increased feeding stimulation and more palatability.

Physiological and biochemical alterations in Anabaena 7120 under iron stress.

Various physiological and biochemical process like growth, NO3- -uptake, nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase and ATPases (Mg2+ and Ca2+ dependent) in the cyanobacterium Anabaena 7120 were observed under iron stress. Growth was found to be maximum in 50 microM Fe3+ added cells however, 20 microM Fe3+ (the Fe3+ concentration generally used for routine culturing of cyanobacterial cell in Chu 10 medium) incubation resulted in lower growth. Fe3+ starvation on the other hand showed very poor growth up to 4th day but once the growth started it reached at significant level on 7th day. Higher Fe3+ concentration reflected reduced growth with lethality at 500 microM Fe3+. Chlorophyll a fluorescence under Fe3+ stress reflected almost the similar results as in case of growth. However, the pigment was found to be more sensitive as compared to protein under Fe3+ stress. Similar results have been observed in case of NO3-uptake with only 80% reduction in nutrient uptake in 500 microM Fe3+ incubated cells. Nitrate reductase activity was lower in Fe3+ starved cells as compared to significant enzyme activity in 20 and 50 microM Fe3+ incubated cells. Similar to nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase also showed maximum level in 50 microM Fe3+ added cells, however, higher Fe3+ concentration (300-500 microM ) resulted in reduced enzymatic activity. Glutamine synthetase activity was less sensitivity as compared to nitrate reductase activity under Fe3+ stress. ATPase (Mg2+ and Ca2+ dependent) always showed higher level with increasing Fe3+ concentration.

Calcium-dependent metabolic regulations in prokaryotes indicate conserved nature of calmodulin gene.

Role of free calcium and calcium binding protein calmodulin as signal molecule in cellular regulation is well established in eukaryotes. However, reports on Ca(2+)-dependent processes and their inhibition by calcium and/or calmodulin antagonists indicate towards the presence of calmodulin in prokaryotes as well. The common evolutionary origin of pro- and eukaryotes and many examples of evolutionary conservation of structure and functions support the contention of such conservation of the role of Ca2+ and calmodulin. Eukaryotic calmodulin (CaM) contains four structurally and functionally similar Ca2+ domains named I, II, III and IV. Each Ca2+ binding loop consists of 12 amino acid residues with ligands arranged spatially to satisfy the octahedral symmetry of Ca2+ binding. Plant calmodulin differ from vertebrate ones in 13 to 14 amino acid positions of which nine occur at -COOH- terminal half. Differences between protozoan and mammalian CaM also occur mostly in the same half. Isolation and characterization, although to a little extent, of CaM-like proteins from bacteria and cyanobacteria and their comparison with CaMs from diverse origin suggest high degree of conservation. Non-bulky amino acids like glycine, alanine and serine with low specific rotation are present in greater number in the primitive form of calmodulin and have been significantly reduced in highly evolved form of calmodulin, suggesting that their requirement was insignificant and were eliminated from EF hand structure during evolution. However, amino acids like glutamate/glutamine and aspartate/asparagine were highly conserved and did not show any major change in their frequency since their positions are too significant in calcium binding domain. While the number of positively charged amino acids like arginine and leucine was increased, histidine containing weakly ionized group and having a significant buffering capacity was reduced to a major extent, further suggesting that the acidic nature of calmodulin protein has been maintained during evolution. Thus it is now clear that the entire superfamily of Ca2+ binding proteins have arisen from a common genetic ancestry. Two successive tandem duplications of gene encoding a single domain containing protein of 30-40 residues gave rise to a four domain molecule from which this family was then derived.

Short-term results of initial trabeculectomy with intraoperative or postoperative 5-fluorouracil for primary glaucomas.

Thirty-three eyes of 33 patients were prospectively evaluated to study the short term efficacy, safety, and overall surgical outcome of initial trabeculectomy for primary glaucomas with adjunctive intraoperative or postoperative 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) use. Twelve eyes serving as controls underwent trabeculectomy without adjunctive antimetabolites. Eleven eyes received intraoperative 5-FU, while 10 eyes received subconjunctival 5-FU postoperatively. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was maintained below 22 mmHg at 3 months of follow up in 90.9% and 80% of patients in the intraoperative and postoperative 5-FU groups, respectively, without use of additional antiglaucoma medications, whereas 66.7% of the patients in the control group achieved similar IOP levels. Hypotony (IOP < 6 mmHg) was seen more commonly after intraoperative 5-FU (27.3%). Corneal epithelial defects were seen exclusively in the postoperative 5-FU group (40%). The use of intraoperative 5-FU exclusively as a mode of antimetabolites delivery seems an acceptable alternative to enhance success rates of trabeculectomy for the primary glaucomas.

Short-term results of initial trabeculectomy with intraoperative or postoperative 5-fluorouracil for primary glaucomas.

Thirty three eyes of 33 patients were prospectively evaluated to study the short term efficacy, and overall surgical outcome of initial trabeculectomy for primary glaucomas with adjunctive intraoperative on postoperative 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) use. Twelve eyes served as control who underwent trabeculectomy without adjunctive antimetabolites. Eleven eyes received intraoperative 5-FU, while 10 eyes received subconjunctival 5-FU postoperatively. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was maintained below 22 mmHg at 3 months of follow up in 90.9% and 80% of patients in the intraoperative and postoperative 5-FU groups respectively, without use of additional antiglaucoma medications, whereas 66.7% of the patients in the control group achieved similar IOP levels. Hypotony (I.O.P. < 6 mmHg) was seen more commonly after intraoperative 5-FU (27.3%). Corneal epithelial defects were seen exclusively in the postoperative 5-FU group (40%). The use of intraoperative 5-FU exclusively as a mode of antimetabolite delivery seems an acceptable alternative to enhance success rates of trabeculectomy for the primary glaucomas.

Breastfeeding in babies delivered by cesarean section.

One hundred mothers undergoing cesarean section and their infants were studied regarding various factors affecting the establishment of breastfeeding during their stay in hospital (mean = 11 +/- 3.6 days). Nearly two-thirds (65.7%) of mothers who underwent elective cesarean section, and 62.8% of mothers who received spinal anesthesia were breastfeeding exclusively; while only 53.8% mothers who had undergone an emergency cesarean section and 28.6% who received general anesthesia were exclusively breastfeeding their neonates. All 9 mothers who initiated breastfeeding within 12 h of the surgery were practicing total breastfeeding. In contrast only 5.8% of mothers who initiated breastfeeding after 96 hours, were exclusively breastfeeding their neonates. Total breastfeeding was more frequent (86.8%) in newborn infants who received prelacteal feeds by spoon as compared to those who received by feeding bottle (33.3%). Babies separated from the mothers in hospital were less likely (35.5%) to be on total breastfeeding as compared to those (68.1%) who were not separated from their mothers. This study suggests that for proper establishment of breastfeeding in mothers undergoing cesarean section an elective procedure under spinal anesthesia promotes, early initiation of breastfeeding. Early initiation of breastfeeding has highly significant correlation with establishment of breastfeeding while separation of babies from mothers discourages breastfeeding.