Effects of dietary supplementation with benthic diatom Amphora coffeaeformis on blood biochemistry, steroid hormone levels and seed production efficiency of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus broodstock.

Aquafeed additive quality and quantity remain pivotal factors that constrain the sustainability and progress of aquaculture feed development. This study investigates the impact of incorporating the benthic diatom Amphora coffeaeformis into the diet of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) broodstock, on the blood biochemistry, steroid hormone (SH) levels and seed production efficiency. Broodstock females displaying mature ovary indications were initially combined with males at a ratio of three females to one male. A total of 384 adult Nile tilapia (288 females and 96 males) were used, with 32 fish (24 females and eight males) assigned to each of 12 concrete tanks (8 m³; 2 m × 4 m × 1 m), with three replicate tanks for each dietary treatment, throughout a 14-day spawning cycle until egg harvest. Fish were fed one of four different dietary treatments: AM0% (control diet), and AM2%, AM4% and AM6% enriched with the diatom A. coffeaeformis at levels of 20, 40 and 60 g/kg of diet respectively. At the trial's conclusion, total protein, albumin, triglyceride and creatinine), SHs (follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, free testosterone, total testosterone, progesterone and prolactin) and seeds production efficiency of Nile tilapia improved significantly (p < 0.05) in alignment with the increment of A. coffeaeformis supplementation. The findings propose that including A. coffeaeformis at levels ranging from 4% to 6% could be effectively employed as a feed additive during the Nile tilapia broodstock's spawning season.

Arthrospira platensis nanoparticles dietary supplementation improves growth performance, steroid hormone balance, and reproductive productivity of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) broodstock.

This study evaluates the impact of dietary supplementation of the blue-green alga Arthrospira platensis NIOF17/003 nanoparticles (AN) on the growth performance, whole-body biochemical compositions, blood biochemistry, steroid hormonal, and fry production efficiency of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) broodstock, during the spawning season. After a 21-day preparation period to equip the females and ensure that their ovaries were filled with eggs, mating between the mature females and males took place in a 3:1 ratio during a 14-day spawning cycle. A total of 384 tilapia broodstock 288 females and 96 males with an initial body weight of 450.53±0.75, were divided into four groups; AN0: a basal diet as a control group with no supplementation of Arthrospira platensis, and the other three groups (AN2, AN4, and AN6) were diets supplemented with nanoparticles of A. platensis at levels of 2, 4, and 6 g kg─1 diet, respectively. The results found that fish-fed group AN6 showed the highest significant differences in weight gain (WG), final weight (FW), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and feed efficiency ratio (FER). Females fed the AN6 diet showed the highest significant fat content. Compared to the AN0 group, fish fed on the supplemented diets showed significant improvement (p < 0.05) in triglyceride, glucose, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). A gradual increase in AN inclusion level resulted in a gradual increase in the concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, progesterone, and prolactin. The rates (%) of increase in fry production for females fed supplemented diets were 10.5, 18.6, and 32.2% for AN2, AN4, and AN6, respectively, compared to the control group. This work concluded that the inclusion levels of 6 g kg─1 of A. platensis nanoparticles in the diet of Nile tilapia broodstock significantly improved the growth performances, steroid hormone concentrations, and increased the fry production efficiency by 32.2%, respectively. These findings revealed that A. platensis nanoparticles resulted in a significantly enhanced female' reproductive productivity of Nile tilapia broodstock.

Surf Redfish-Based ZnO-NPs and Their Biological Activity with Reference to Their Non-Target Toxicity.

The marine environment is a rich source of bioactive compounds. Therefore, the sea cucumber was isolated from the Red Sea at the Al-Ain Al-Sokhna coast and it was identified as surf redfish (Actinopyga mauritiana). The aqueous extract of the surf redfish was utilized as an ecofriendly, novel and sustainable approach to fabricate zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs). The biosynthesized ZnO-NPs were physico-chemically characterized and evaluated for their possible antibacterial and insecticidal activities. Additionally, their safety in the non-target organism model (Nile tilapia fish) was also investigated. ZnO-NPs were spherical with an average size of 24.69 ± 11.61 nm and had a peak at 350 nm as shown by TEM and UV-Vis, respectively. XRD analysis indicated a crystalline phase of ZnO-NPs with an average size of 21.7 nm. The FTIR pattern showed biological residues from the surf redfish extract, highlighting their potential role in the biosynthesis process. DLS indicated a negative zeta potential (-19.2 mV) of the ZnO-NPs which is a good preliminary indicator for their stability. ZnO-NPs showed larvicidal activity against mosquito Culex pipiens (LC50 = 15.412 ppm and LC90 = 52.745 ppm) and a potent adulticidal effect to the housefly Musca domestica (LD50 = 21.132 ppm and LD90 = 84.930 ppm). Tested concentrations of ZnO-NPs showed strong activity against the 3rd larval instar. Topical assays revealed dose-dependent adulticidal activity against M. domestica after 24 h of treatment with ZnO-NPs. ZnO-NPs presented a wide antibacterial activity against two fish-pathogen bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aeromonas hydrophila. Histopathological and hematological investigations of the non-target organism, Nile tilapia fish exposed to 75-600 ppm ZnO-NPs provide dose-dependent impacts. Overall, data highlighted the potential applications of surf redfish-mediated ZnO-NPs as an effective and safe way to control mosquitoes, houseflies and fish pathogenic bacteria.

An Overview on the Potential Hazards of Pyrethroid Insecticides in Fish, with Special Emphasis on Cypermethrin Toxicity.

Pesticides are chemicals used to control pests, such as aquatic weeds, insects, aquatic snails, and plant diseases. They are extensively used in forestry, agriculture, veterinary practices, and of great public health importance. Pesticides can be categorized according to their use into three major types (namely insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides). Water contamination by pesticides is known to induce harmful impacts on the production, reproduction, and survivability of living aquatic organisms, such as algae, aquatic plants, and fish (shellfish and finfish species). The literature and information present in this review article facilitate evaluating the toxic effects from exposure to various fish species to different concentrations of pesticides. Moreover, a brief overview of sources, classification, mechanisms of action, and toxicity signs of pyrethroid insecticides in several fish species will be illustrated with special emphasis on Cypermethrin toxicity.

Influence of antibiotic pellets on pore size and shear stress resistance of impacted native and thermodisinfected cancellous bone: An in vitro femoral impaction bone grafting model.

INTRODUCTION: Morphology and mechanic properties of impacted cancellous bone are affected by carrier substances which provide high local concentrations of antibiotics. METHODS: Bone chips were taken from the femoral head of 6-7 months old piglets. One half was thermodisinfected and the other remained native. Ten specimens each were mixed with Herafill® antibiotic pellets and a control group of each 10 specimens respectively was examined. The cancellous bone was impacted according to Exeter technique and the implants were cemented. The distribution of the particles and the pores were defined with three dimensional computertomographic scan and shear force resistance was measured until failure. RESULTS: Shear force resistance was not measured significantly less for thermodisinfected (2.7 Nm) compared with native bone (3.5 Nm) and addition of antibiotic pellets reduced shear force resistance in both groups since this was significant for the native group. The average pore volume of the native bone specimens appeared significant smaller compared to the thermodisinfected group (p = 0.011) and the pore volume showed a negative correlation with shear force resistance (p = 0.044). Pore volume around the pellets was found significantly increased and it appeared smaller for native bone. The number of pellets located next to the implant showed a negative correlation with shear force resistance (p = 0.034) and the negative correlation increased for pellets below the tip of the shaft model (p = 0.024). CONCLUSION: Adding antibiotic pellets to native and thermodisinfected impacted cancellous bone increased pore volume since the area around the pellets showed increased porosity which correlated with reduced shear force resistance. Computertomographic three dimensional measurement of porosity might predict shear force resistance of impacted cancellous bone and improve impaction of bone grafting intraoperatively.

Clinical evaluation of a novel press-fit acetabular cup using "Ein-Bild-Roentgen-Analysis" (EBRA): A positive short-term prognosis.

INTRODUCTION: Demographic change and demand for high quality of life lead to increasing implantation numbers. Aim of this study was to compare the Plasmafit® cup to Allofit® and Plasmacup®. METHODS: The study included 174 patients who had received 33 Plasmacup®, 68 Allofit® and 73 Plasmafit® cup implants. These were reviewed postoperatively, after 6 months control and after 12 months. RESULTS: No significant progressive migration could be discovered in any of the cup systems. At each follow-up the cups showed nearly constant values. CONCLUSIONS: All examined acetabular cups showed excellent migration behavior within the first 12 postoperative months.

[Allogeneic bone transplantation in hip revision surgery : Indications and potential for reconstruction]. / Allogene Knochentransplantation in der Hüftrevisionsendoprothetik : Indikationen und Rekonstruktionsmöglichkeiten.

The increasing number of people having joint replacements will lead to increasing numbers of revision operations. The transplantation of allogeneic bones might reconstruct bone defects and improve long-term anchorage of the implant. A sufficient primary stability of the implanted construct is necessary to achieve osseous incorporation as well as tight contact between the implanted allogeneic and host bones. Transplantation of bone can contribute to downgrading acetabular defects and so avoid bigger reinforcement implants. An improvement of bone stock due to reconstruction of femoral bony defects might also reduce the size of the stem necessary since the indication might be limited in case of extensive bone defects. According to good longterm results of modular revision stems the Impaction-Bone-Grafting has not yet generally been established.

Differential pulse and square-wave cathodic stripping voltammetry of xanthine and xanthosine at a mercury electrode.

The surface activity of xanthine (Xan) and xanthosine (Xano) at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) was studied using out-of-phase ac and cyclic dc voltammetry. The results show that Xan and Xano were strongly adsorbed and chemically interacted with the charged mercury surface, which is the prerequisite step for applying the cathodic adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of such biologically important compounds. Differential pulse cathodic adsorptive stripping voltammetry (DPCASV) and square-wave cathodic adsorptive stripping voltammetry (SWCASV) were applied for the ultratrace determination of Xan and Xano compounds. Moreover, a rapid and sensitive controlled adsorptive accumulation of Cu(II) complexes of both compounds provided the basis of a direct stripping voltammetric determination of such compounds to submicromolar and nanomolar levels. Operational and solution conditions for the quantitative ultratrace determination of Xan and Xano were optimized in absence and presence of Cu(II). The calibration curve data were subjected to least-squares refinements. The effects of several types of inorganic and organic interfering species on the determination of Xan or Xano were considered.

A study of cutaneous leishmaniasis involvement of the lips and perioral tissues.

A study of the involvement of lips and the perioral tissues, by cutaneous leishmaniasis among 492 patients diagnosed to have been affected by the disease at a district general hospital in the Southwest highlands of Saudi Arabia over a period of 18 months is presented together with clinical and diagnostic aspects of such involvement. Differential diagnosis and methods of treatment are briefly discussed. The need for oral and dental surgeons to be acquainted with this not too uncommon condition is stressed.