Cellular and molecular immune response and production performance of Indian white shrimp Penaeus indicus (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837), reared in a biofloc-based system with different protein levels of feed.

The present study focuses on the immunity and growth of Penaeus indicus fed with varying protein levels (25%, 30%, and 35%) in a biofloc based rearing system. A 120 days growth trial was carried out using juvenile Penaeus indicus (0.71 ± 0.01) with dietary protein level, 25% (LP), 30% (MP), and 35% (HP), and a control diet-fed with 35% acted as control group resulting in 4 treatments each with four replicates and were randomly assigned 16 tank units (7500 L each). A combination of different carbon sources (molasses, wheat flour, and rice bran in 2:1:1 ratio), yeast and a probiotic (Bacillus sp.) consortium were used for the development of biofloc. At the end of the trial, the growth parameters of shrimps viz., initial weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and daily growth coefficient (DGC) were computed. The results indicated that shrimp fed with medium (30%) protein (MP) diet recorded significantly (P < 0.05) improved growth performance compared to high protein fed group (35%) and low protein (25%) fed group (LP) in a biofloc system and control group (35%). The immunological parameters such as hemagglutination activity (HA) assay, serum protein, lysozyme, phenol oxidase (PO), and inhibition of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were observed in serum, plasma, and hemocyte lysate supernatant (HLS). The HA activity, PO activity in plasma was found to be higher in high protein fed animals, whereas medium protein resulted in enhanced PO activity in serum. Similarly, lysozyme and SOD were inhibited well in high protein fed animals compared to the low protein fed group. The vital immune genes's mRNA profiling showed a potential rise in the expressional pattern in MP and HP treatments compared to LP and control. BGBP (beta-1,3-glucan binding protein) and hemocyanin mRNA transcript levels were highly upregulated in the HP (5 fold) and moderately expressed in MP (2 fold) and LP (1-2 fold). The transcripts of peroxinectin, antimicrobial peptides like crustin showed significant upregulation in HP followed by in MP and LP and control. Likewise, other immune genes, such as SOD, prophenoloxidase (proPO), showed a similar trend in a marginal way, indicating immunomodulation in the biofloc groups. This study suggested that biofloc with high protein (35%) supplementation can substantially enhance the immune response of shrimps, although medium protein level (30%) is optimum for improving the survival, growth, and in turn economic return in Indian white shrimp.

Comparison of pituitary stalk angle, inter-neural angle and optic tract angle in relation to optic chiasm location on 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging.

Optic chiasm location is critical in sellar surgeries and may be obscured by tumor invasion. This study evaluates inter-neural angle, pituitary stalk angle, optic tract angle in prefixed, normal and post fixed optic chiasms using 3-dimensional constructive interface in steady state (CISS) sequences of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in essentially normal studies. MRI Brain studies of 154 patients were retrospectively evaluated. Location and height of optic chiasm was noted. Interneural angle between intracranial segments of bilateral optic nerves, pituitary stalk angle between pituitary stalk and optic chiasm, optic tract angle between optic tracts were measured and compared in prefixed, normal and post fixed chiasms using ANOVA test. Optic chiasm was prefixed in 33 (21.4%) cases, normal in 111 (72.1%) cases and postfixed in 10 (6.5%) cases with mean height of optic chiasm of 3.33 mm. There was no statistically significant difference in height and type of optic chiasm between age groups and genders. Statistically significant difference between location of optic chiasm was seen with interneural angle (p = 0.013), was highly significant with pituitary stalk angle (p < 0.001) and was not seen in optic tract angle (p = 0.455). Optic chiasm location was divided into nine groups with frequency being highest in intermediate height, normal fixed chiasms (n = 62, 40.26%) and least in post fixed high, post fixed low groups (n = 1, 0.006%). A wider interneural angle, wider pituitary stalk angle with a more anteriorly placed stalk indicates a prefixed chiasm. 3-dimensional MRI is an effective tool in assessing the optic chiasm location, when its invaded by sellar and suprasellar tumours.

5-[(4-Benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)meth-yl]-5H-dibenzo[b,f]azepine.

In the title compound, C24H20N4, the azepine ring adopts a boat conformation and the dihedral angle between the benzene rings fused to it is 57.95 (8)°. The bond-angle sum at the azepine N atom is 346.6°, indicating a significant deviation from planarity. The triazole ring subtends a dihedral angle of 71.45 (10)° with the terminal phenyl group. A weak intra-molecular C-H⋯Na (a = azepine) inter-action occurs, which closes an S(6) ring.

4-[5-(4-Benzoyl-oxyphen-yl)-1,2,4-oxa-diazol-3-yl]phenyl benzoate.

In the title compound, C28H18N2O5, the dihedral angle between the terminal benzoate rings is 20.67 (12)°. The central oxadiazole ring is almost coplanar with its two benzene ring substituents, making dihedral angles of 4.80 (16) and 5.82 (16)°. In the crystal, pairs of C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds form inversion dimers with R 2 (2)(40) ring motifs. The structure also features C-H⋯O, C-H⋯π and π-π inter-actions [centroid-centroid separation = 3.695 (4) Å].

5-(Prop-2-yn-1-yl)-5H-dibenzo[b,f]azepine: ortho-rhom-bic polymorph.

In the title ortho-rhom-bic polymorph (space group Iba2), C17H13N, the dihedral angle between the benzene rings is 55.99 (10)° and the azepine ring adopts a boat conformation. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by C-H⋯π contacts. The previously-reported polymorph [Yousuf et al. (2012 ▶). Acta Cryst. E68, o1101] crystallizes in the monoclinic system (space group P21/c) with two mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit.