The Annual Reproductive Cycle, Proximate Composition, Fatty Acid and Amino Acid Content of Pacific Oyster, Crassostrea gigas (Magallana gigas), in Gadeok-do, Korea.

Environmental factors impact oyster growth, condition, and gonadal development, which is linked to gamete characteristics observed through histology. The reproductive cycle of bivalves is related to energy storage and utilization. Therefore, in this study, the year-round growth change and gonadal development of oysters were observed using histological analysis, and the biochemical composition changes were confirmed. The oysters used in this study are being nurtured in Gadeok-do, and 40 oysters were randomly sampled monthly from March 2021 to February 2022. Result of histological analysis of gonads, oysters were showed early development from December to February, late development from March and April, mature and ripe from May to July, spawned from August to October, and spent from November to December. Condition index values of oysters decreased in summer and autumn and increased again when entered the spent after spawning. The protein content of oysters was high in May, the maturity period, and the lipid content decreased during the spawning period. In addition, EPA and DHA, the major fatty acids of oysters, were low during the spawning period and high during the maturation period. As a result, this study suggested a close relationship between changes in oyster growth, biochemical composition, and the reproductive cycle.

The effects of two dietary synbiotics on growth performance, haematological parameters, and non-specific immune responses in Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica).

Feed additives have attracted increased attention in aquaculture due to their ability to modulate fish gut microbiota, resulting in improved fish growth and immunity. This study assessed two synbiotics' effects in Japanese eels: Bacillus subtilis with mannooligosaccharide (MOS) and Enterococcus faecium with fructooligosaccharide (FOS). Six diets, including a control (CON), oxytetracycline (OTC), and four synbiotic diets - B.subtilis at 1 × 106 and 107 CFU/g with 5 g/kg MOS (BS6MO and BS7MO) and E. faecium at 1 × 106 and 107 CFU/g with 5 g/kg FOS (EF6FO and EF7FO) - were fed to triplicate groups of 20 fish averaging 6.00 ± 0.07g for eight weeks. Fish fed the BSMOS diets showed significantly higher weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), and feed efficiency (FE) compared to the CON and OTC diets (P < 0.05), but not significantly different from those fed the EFFOS diets. Weight gain, SGR of fish fed EFFOS were not significantly different from those fed all other diets (P > 0.05). Fish fed the OTC diet showed a higher mean aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level, though the difference was not statistically significant. The myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity of fish fed the BS7MO diet was significantly higher than in all other diets, and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of fish fed the BS7MO diet was also significantly higher than in the EF7FO diet. Overall, the BSMOS synbiotic diets were significantly more effective than the CON diet in enhancing fish survival against Vibrio anguillarum. Our findings suggest that synbiotics can be a preferable alternative to antibiotics in aquaculture.

Evaluation of Yeast Hydrolysate in a Low-Fishmeal Diet for Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei).

An eight-week feeding trial was performed to evaluate the effects of yeast hydrolysate (YH) supplementation in a low-fishmeal diet on the growth, immune responses, intestinal histology and disease resistance of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Five experimental diets were produced by supplementing YH at 0 (CON), 0.5 (YH0.5), 1 (YH1), 2 (YH2) and 4 (YH4) % to a basal diet containing 10% fishmeal and compared with a positive control with 25% fishmeal (FM25). Shrimp with an initial average weight of 0.43 ± 0.005 g (mean ± SD) were stocked in 18 tanks and fed the experimental diets (38% protein and 8% lipid) four times a day. Results showed that shrimp fed the FM25 diet exhibited significantly higher final body weight, weight gain, specific growth rate and protein efficiency ratio than those fed CON, YH0.5, YH1 and YH2 diets (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between shrimp fed the YH4 and FM25 diets (p > 0.05). In addition, there were no significant differences in whole-body proximate composition, hemolymph biochemical parameters and non-specific immune responses among treatments. Intestinal villi length and muscular layer thickness of shrimp fed the YH4 and FM25 diets were significantly higher than the other groups. At the end of the bacterial (Vibrio parahaemolyticus) challenge test, shrimp fed YH4 and FM25 diets showed a significantly higher survival rate than those of shrimp fed CON, YH0.5 and YH1 (p < 0.05). These results suggest that supplementing 4% YH in diet containing 10% fishmeal could beneficially influence growth, intestinal morphology and disease resistance of whiteleg shrimp.

DXplorer: A Unified Visualization Framework for Interactive Dendritic Spine Analysis Using 3D Morphological Features.

Dendritic spines are dynamic, submicron-scale protrusions on neuronal dendrites that receive neuronal inputs. Morphological changes in the dendritic spine often reflect alterations in physiological conditions and are indicators of various neuropsychiatric conditions. However, owing to the highly dynamic and heterogeneous nature of spines, accurate measurement and objective analysis of spine morphology are major challenges in neuroscience research. Most conventional approaches for analyzing dendritic spines are based on two-dimensional (2D) images, which barely reflect the actual three-dimensional (3D) shapes. Although some recent studies have attempted to analyze spines with various 3D-based features, it is still difficult to objectively categorize and analyze spines based on 3D morphology. Here, we propose a unified visualization framework for an interactive 3D dendritic spine analysis system, DXplorer, that displays 3D rendering of spines and plots the high-dimensional features extracted from the 3D mesh of spines. With this system, users can perform the clustering of spines interactively and explore and analyze dendritic spines based on high-dimensional features. We propose a series of high-dimensional morphological features extracted from a 3D mesh of dendritic spines. In addition, an interactive machine learning classifier with visual exploration and user feedback using an interactive 3D mesh grid view ensures a more precise classification based on the spine phenotype. A user study and two case studies were conducted to quantitatively verify the performance and usability of the DXplorer. We demonstrate that the system performs the entire analytic process effectively and provides high-quality, accurate, and objective analysis.

Comparison of growth performance, non-specific immunity, and intestinal microbiota of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) fed with extruded pellet and moist pellet diets under field conditions in South Korea.

A 6-month feeding trial was conducted to compare the effects of extruded pellet (EP) and moist pellet (MP) feed on the growth performance, non-specific immunity, and intestinal microbiota of olive flounder. A total of 60,000 fish with an average weight of 70.8 ± 6.4 g were divided into two groups and fed with one of two experimental diets. At the end of a 6-month feeding trial, the weight gain and specific growth rate of the fish fed with the MP diets were significantly higher than those of fish fed with EP (P < 0.05). However, the EP group exhibited a lower feed conversion rate than the MP group, meaning that the EP diet was more cost-effective. Whole-body proximate compositions and non-specific immune responses (superoxide dismutase, myeloperoxidase, and lysozyme activity) were not significantly different between the two groups. There were no significant differences in the α-diversity of the intestinal bacterial community of the two groups. However, the composition of microorganisms at the phylum to genus level was different between the groups. The EP group was rich in Actinobacteria, Corynebacterium, Bacillus, and Lactobacillus, whereas the MP group was dominated by Proteobacteria, Vibrio, and Edwardsiella. Collectively, the MP diet increased growth performance and pathogen concentration in the gut; whereas EP improved feed conversion and beneficial Bacillus and Lactobacillus proportion in the intestinal microbial community.

Effects of Decreasing Fishmeal as Main Source of Protein on Growth, Digestive Physiology, and Gut Microbiota of Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).

In olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), growth performance, expression of growth-related factors, digestive physiology, and gut microbiota were assessed under farm conditions in the fish fed diets with low levels of fishmeal. Four experimental diets were prepared, FM70 [control (CON), 70% fishmeal], FM45 (45% fishmeal), FM35A (35% fishmeal), and FM35B (35% fishmeal + insect meal), and fed to the fish for five months. The CON-fed fish had the highest plasma GH, but IGF-1 and hepatic IGF-1 mRNA expression of the olive flounder fed diets with low-fishmeal levels did not significantly differ among diets. The intestinal villus length, muscular thickness, and the number of goblet cells were statistically similar, and ocular examination of hepatopancreas showed no discernable difference in all experimental diets. The chymotrypsin content of FM35B-fed fish is significantly lower, but trypsin and lipase contents are similar. The diversity of gut microbiota did not differ among groups, although the FM35B group had a higher composition of Firmicutes. Thus, a diet with reduced fishmeal content and several alternative protein sources can be used as feed ingredients in feed formulation for olive flounder reared under typical aquaculture farm conditions.

Quantitative three-dimensional image analysis of the superior canal after surgical plugging to treat superior semicircular canal dehiscence.

Surgical plugging to treat superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD) has been proven to impede the effect of the third mobile window, abating cochleovestibular symptoms. Knowledge of superior semicircular canal (SC)-plugging status has been proposed to serve as a guide for adjuvant treatment. Here, we investigated disturbances in the inner ear fluid space following SC plugging using a novel three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction-based method. This approach used a semi-automatic segmentation algorithm and a direct volume rendering method derived from conventional magnetic resonance images. The variable extents of filling defects at the sites of SC plugging and the positional relation of the defect to the ampulla and common crus were identified. The success group exhibited markedly reduced volumes following surgery, whereas the failure group displayed no changes in volume. These results indicate that the success or failure of SC plugging was related to 3D volume changes in the labyrinth fluid signal. Collectively, this study presents individualized SC-plugging statuses using a novel 3D reconstruction-based method and it facilitates future work regarding easy-to-measure 3D volume changes. This current technology also aids in the exploration of pathologic changes in various targets of interest.

Occupational Health Problems of Classical Guitarists.

AIMS: Classical guitarists may experience unique occupational health problems due to a constellation of biopsychosocial demands associated with the physical characteristics of the classical guitar, performance techniques, repertoire, and performance practices consistent with the classical music genre. Unfortunately, epidemiologic studies of classical guitarists are limited. The purpose of this study was to examine musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal problems in classical guitarists. METHODS: A sample of 190 classical guitarists completed a web-based survey. The survey assessed demographics, music-related variables, musician identity, non-musculoskeletal problems, and site-specific pain. Novel interactive body and hand maps were deployed to assess site-specific frequency, intensity, influence on playing, and quality of pain. RESULTS: A total of 168 subjects (88.9%) reported experiencing classical guitar-related pain in the past year at one or more musculoskeletal sites. The left thenar (25%) was the most prevalent pain site. Pain at the right upper back was reported to influence performance the most. Classical guitarists reported problems with non-musculoskeletal problems at rates similar or higher to other instrument-specific groups. CONCLUSION: Classical guitarists are an understudied group of musicians who experience occupational health problems. The novel assessment protocols developed for this study produced outcomes that may be helpful to both clinicians and pedagogues.

Nut and Bolt Microfluidics with Helical Minichannel for Counting CD4+ T-Cells.

In this study, we developed the prototype of an optical imaging-based point-of-care (POC) device for monitoring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) progression that can detect CD4+ T-lymphocytes in human blood. The proposed portable cell-counting system, Helios CD4 Analyzer (Helios), can acquire sample images and analyze the cells automatically using a simple fluorescence imaging module and sample cartridge with a three-dimensional (3D) helical minichannel. The helical minichannel formed on the cylindrical surface enables the sample cartridge to hold a cell suspension present in a fixed sample volume for absolute counting of the cells. With a given total channel length, the helical minichannel-based sample cartridge is smaller than the conventional sample cartridge with a planar microchannel. The implemented nut and bolt mechanism allows the scanning of a relatively large volume of the sample along the helical minichannel by just rotating the cylindrical chamber coupled with a single DC motor rather than using a two-axis motorized translation stage, which considerably simplifies the associated electromechanical parts. It has distinct advantages over the existing devices because of its small size and simple scanning mechanism. We optimized various imaging parameters to enhance the fluorescence detection efficiency of the prototype. Performance evaluations using human blood samples demonstrated good agreement for low CD4 count between the Helios and the PIMATM, one of the most widely used POC CD4+ analyzers.

Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of Ethyl Acetate Extract of Elephantopus mollis Kunth. in Human Liver Carcinoma HepG2 Cells Through Caspase-3 Activation.

Previous cytotoxic (anticancer) evaluations ofElephantopus molliswere mainly focused on its elephantopin derivatives neglecting the combined effect of the phytochemicals in its traditionally used extracts. In this study, the cytotoxic mechanism of its extracts was investigated using methylene blue assay. The cytotoxic screening results revealed the ethyl acetate extract as the most potent extract by displaying prominent dose-dependent and time-dependent growth inhibitions in human liver carcinoma HepG2 cells with the lowest EC50value of 9.38 ± 0.43 µg/mL after 72 hours of treatment. Acute exposure of the HepG2 cells to the ethyl acetate extract produced a significant regulation of caspase-3 with the peak expression at 8 hours of treatment (P< .05). DNA fragmentation indicated by DeadEnd Apoptosis Detection System-labeled nuclei cells confirmed that the extract induced apoptotic cell death through caspase-3-dependent pathway in HepG2 cells.