Hardware of the flight experiment "Quail-SK" transport incubator.

The transportation of quail eggs in various stages of incubation was used in an experiment at the orbital station MIR by the Slovak astronaut, Bella in February 1999. Device description, diagrams, and experimental results are presented in this paper.

[The effect of hypodynamia on striated muscles in Japanese quail]. / Vplyv hypodynamie na priecne-pruhovanú svalovinu japonských prepelíc.

The effect of hypodynamia during 9, 30, 60 and 90 days on the striated muscle m. gastrocnemius in Japanese quails was studied. We have found different developed dystrophic changes of mitochondria, myofibrils and sarcotubular system. Changes of the studied tissue caused by hypodynamia in the first two groups (9 and 30 days hypodynamy) are the reaction to stress and developing situation. Gradually Japanese quails have come up to the influence of the hypodynamia (60 days hypodynamia). In the last experimental group deposit changes were observed (90 days hypodynamia). In comparison with control group we have found perturbations considered as non-specific, short-term and reversible.

Characteristics of enterococci and staphylococci isolated from the crop and caecum of Japanese quails exposed to microgravity conditions.

Ten selected strains of enterococci and staphylococci were isolated from the crop and caecum of Japanese quails exposed to microgravity conditions. Isolates were allotted to the species Enterococcus gallinarum, Ent. avium, Ent. faecium, Staphylococcus gallinarum and Staph. aureus. Isolated strains were facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, Gram-positive cocci, occurring in pairs, short chains or irregular clusters. Isolates utilized most of the soluble sugars tested and produced bacteriocin-like substances. Enterococci and staphylococci were resistant to monensin (50 mg/l) and sensitive to tylosin and virginiamycin (10 mg/l).

[The effect of high gravity on embryonic development in birds]. / Vplyv zvýsenej gravitácie na embryonálny vývoj vtákov.

An experiment was conducted on Japanese quail and hen hatching eggs that had been incubated, and the embryos were subjected to hypergravitation of 10 G for 10 min on days 1 to 9 of embryonic development. Both the experimental group and the control contained each 20 hatching eggs every day of the experiment (360 eggs in total). A centrifuge of the diameter 1,300 mm was used to create overload (hypergravitation) at the speed of 118 rotations per min. Tab. I shows the layout of the experiment. Embryonic mortality in Japanese quail was investigated during incubation by egg candling on days 1 to 8 and 9 to 14 while suffocated embryos were investigated on days 15 to 17. As for chicks, embryonic mortality was determined by egg candling on days 1 to 8 and 9 to 18, suffocated embryos were determined on days 19 to 21. After incubation was terminated, hatchability in per cent of the fertilized eggs was determined. The results were processed in two stages of development: the first stage days 1 to 5, the second stage days 6 to 9. As can be seen in Fig. 1, hypergravitation did not influence the hatchability of quail eggs in the first stage. But this experimental treatment resulted in a steep fall of hatchability in the second stage of observation in comparison with the control group (the difference is significant P < 0.01). Fig. 2 shows hatchability.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Quantitative ultrastructure of the myocardium of Japanese quail after long-term hypodynamia]. / Kvantitatívna ultrastruktúra myokardu japonskej prepelice pocas dlhodobej hypodynamie.

Quantitative ultrastructural myocardial changes of myocardium of the japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were studied during an immobilization stress (hypodynamia) lasting 9, 30, 60 and 90 days. Hypodynamic quails were fixed by waistcoats to the feeding place simulating conditions of long lasting space flight which the quails were determined for. The surveyed morphological parametres were: mitochondrial rate, mitochondrial volume in % of cytoplasm, volume of myofibres in % of cytoplasm, volume of single mitochondria, extent of cristolysis. Progressive mitochondrial hydratation and even local oedema were observed during the experiment. It led to a progressive increase of mitochondrial volume and simultaneous decrease of volume of myofilaments as a sign of intracellular atrophy of myofibres. The results correlated well with a decreased mass of myofibres observed in experimental quails from space flight on the orbital station MIR.

Activity of ornithine decarboxylase in muscle of Japanese quail in hypergravity conditions.

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is the rate limiting enzyme in the synthesis of polyamines which are generally required for animal cell proliferation. Because of many different stimuli changing the activity of ODC, the effect of hypergravity on muscle ODC activity in Japanese quail was investigated. Adult Japanese quail cockerels were exposed to 2G in the centrifuge permanently for 96 hours. The activity of ODC was determined by radioisotopic method in supernatant of homogenised breast and fibular muscles (m. pectoralis minor, m.superficialis fibularis). The activity of ODC was higher in breast muscle than in the fibular muscle in both, control and experimental groups. Exposition of quail to hypergravity evokes approximately 2 fold increase of ODC activity in both breast and fibular muscles. The results suggest that 96 hours of permanent hypergravitation (2G) caused activation of polyamine synthesis and their involvement in biochemical processes of adaptation to hypergravity.

Behaviour of newly hatched and adult Japanese quail and the feasibility of adaptation to weightlessness.

The aim of cosmic biology is to create conditions necessary for the long-term stay of man on cosmic orbital complexes and planetary stations. Such conditions should be provided by the autonomous closed ecosystem--a simplified model of the terrestrial biocenosis. As an experimental model of the higher heterotrophic link of this ecosystem the Japanese quail was chosen. This paper presents recent knowledge on the behaviour of newly hatched and adult quails under conditions of weightlessness. Videorecords made as part of the experiments aboard the MIR orbital station do not meet the criteria of systematic behavioural observation required for qualitative and quantitative behavioural analysis on earth. Nevertheless, the data is highly interesting and original, and was therefore analysed and summarized.

Modifications of the electrical activity in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus and the lateral hypothalamic area of 24-hour food-deprived rats.

The amplitude of the electrical activity of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) and lateral hypothalamic area (LH) was evaluated in rats after 24-hr food deprivation to determine the effects of the diet they had received before fasting. Bioelectrical potentials were registered by means of monopolar electrodes. In rats after 24-hr food deprivation an increase in the absolute values of the amplitude of the electrical activity of the VMH and LH was found; this effect was more pronounced in the LH. Comparing the amplitude of the electrical activity of the VMH and LH, we found it to be always higher in the VMH in ad libitum fed rats, while in 24-hr food-deprived rats the electrical activity was always higher in the LH. The extent of changes depended on the diet the rats had received before fasting--they were most marked in rats fed on a high-protein diet and less marked in rats fed on either a standard or a high-fat diet before food deprivation.

[Genetic markers in the blood and their relation to metabolic parameters in dairy cows]. / Genetické markery krvi a ich vztah k metabolickým parametrom dojníc.

A relationship between the genetic markers of blood (blood groups, serum polymorphic proteins) and the clinico-chemical parameters was studied in the dairy cows of the Slovak Pied breed. Antigens belonging to systems A, B, C, F, S, R, T, Z and the polymorphic traits genetically controlled from loci Tf, Cp, Am and Hb were identified in all the animals subjected to testing. The values of the parameters of acid-base balance and concentration of 13 metabolic components were repeatedly determined in the experimental period. The results of the F-test indicated that there were no significant differences in the values of any of the tested parameters between the phenotypes of the A, J, Am, Tf and Cp systems. Of the 21 parameters tested, statistically significant differences were found in 11 parameters between some alleles of the C, FV, T, Z and Hb systems.

Simple fluorometric ultramicroassay for urea in tubular fluid of the kidney.

Sensitive fluorometric method for the determination of picomole amount of urea in tubular fluid of the kidney is presented. It is a modification and simplification of the macromethod by McCleskey (6) for the urea determination in blood. Assay is based on the reaction of urea with diacetylmonoxime and sulphuric acid in boiling water within 20 minutes. The reaction is highly specific for urea. The simple procedure requires only one micropipetting step. The fluorometric determination of urea can be made in 20 nanoliters of proximal and in 5 nanoliters of distal tubular fluid with the reproducibility of +/- 4.44% and of +/- 5.38%, respectively. The minimum detection limit is 20 picomoles of urea.

[Renal excretion of urea in the Merino and Steppe fat-tailed breeds of sheep after a short period of fasting]. / Renálna exkrécia mocoviny u oviec plemena merino a u stepných tucnochvostých oviec po krátkodobom hladovaní.

Urea excretion was studied in an experiment with two sheep breeds (steppe fat-tailed and merino) on the second day of fasting when the urea concentration in blood increases in fasting animals. The control group in the two breeds was given free-choice feed and water while fasting sheep were given ad libitum only water. Diuresis in both breeds was steady during the experiment. Glomerular filtration rate was not found to vary, in comparison with the control, although the plasma urea concentration rose in fat-tailed sheep (P less than 0.01) as well as in the sheep of merino breed (P less than 0.001). Fractional excretion of urea decreased in fat-tailed sheep (P less than 0.05) and also in the sheep of merino breed (P less than 0.02) while total output of urea remained steady in fat-tailed sheep but it increased in merino sheep (P less than 0.02). Tubular reabsorption of urea on the second day of fasting was observed to be higher by 65% in merino sheep (P less than 0.001), but in steppe fat-tailed sheep the increase was much higher--by up to 180% (P less than 0.001), in comparison with the control. It was demonstrated by the results that the increased tubular reabsorption of urea contributes to the rise of plasma urea concentration in sheep on the second day of fasting.

[Renal regulation of the excretion of urea in fasting camels]. / Renálna regulácia exkrécie mocoviny u hladujúcich tiav.

Experiments were performed with young two-humped camels exposed to 36-hour starvation with free access to water. The renal functions were measured by the standard clearance method. In spite of the administration of 20 micrograms DDAVP, a higher urine flow rate was recorded in the camels subjected to control measurements (feed intake) than in the fasting period (1.45 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.96 +/- 0.06 ml . min-1, P less than less than 0.001). On the second day of fasting the camels had a significantly reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR 317.5 +/- 23.2 vs. 170.2 +/- 17.4 ml . min-1, P less than 0.001), urea output (700.5 +/- 62.9 vs. 352.2 +/- 64.7 mumol . min-1, P less than 0.005), and fractional excretion of urea (26.9 +/- 2.8 vs. 17.9 +/- 1.7%, P less than 0.01), whereas their tubular resorption. of urea (Reab urea/GFR) increased (6.28 +/- 0.61 vs. 9.12 +/- 0.82 mumol . ml-1, P less than 0.02). No significant difference was found in the concentration of urea in plasma in the fed camels and in fasting camels (8.55 +/- 0.64 vs. 11.18 +/- 1.09 mmol . l-1, N. S.). The creatinine inulin clearance ratio (C creat/Cin) was 0.92 +/- 0.07 when the animals were fed and 1.17 +/- 0.05 when the animals starved (P less than 0.001); this suggests that the clearance of endogenous creatinine is not suitable for GFR measurement in camels under different conditions of nutrition. The kidneys of camels regulate the excretion of urea during short-time fasting mainly through the reduction of glomerular filtration rate and just partly through an increased tubular resorption.

[Cytotoxic antibodies against lymphocytic antigens of cattle]. / Cytotoxické protilátky proti lymfocytárnym antigénom hovädzieho dobytka.

Typing reagents for the identification of bovine lymphocyte antigens were prepared. Sera obtained from cows killed in slaughterhouse were a good source of cytotoxic antibodies. Out of the 300 sera tested, 98 were cytotoxically active. The selected sera with a low reaction frequency were tested on a panel of 132 non-related animals. On the basis of the correlations between the sera, thirty of them could be included in four clusters. The sera within each cluster were closely associated; hence it can be assumed that a distinct specificity is represented by each of the clusters. It is suggested by correlation analysis and by the distribution of antigens in the population under study that the determined antigens fall within the same system and are genetically controlled by one or several closely associated loci.

[Adherence of bacteria to epithelial cells of the rumen wall]. / Adherencia baktérií na epiteliálne bunky bachorovej steny.

A method was developed for the quality and quantity testing of the adherence of bacteria to epithelial cells isolated from the rumen wall of sheep and cows. It was possible by this method to include the tested strains of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Bacteroides, Staphylococcus and Escherichia microorganisms in groups of highly adherent, intermediate and slightly adherent microorganisms. The possibilities of using this method for the study of influencing the adherence of epimural rumen bacteria are studied.

[Volatile fatty acids in the rumen of sheep fed a synthetic diet]. / Unikavé mastné kyseliny v bachore oviec krmených syntetickou diétou.

A trial was conducted with wethers to study the effect of the administration of a synthetic diet (composition: 30.125% starch, 30.125% sucrose, 25% cellulose, 5.25% urea, 8.125% mineral supplement, 1.25% maize oil and 0.125% cholinechloride) upon rumen fermentation. The adaptation to the synthetic diet lasted three months, the proportion of the synthetic diet increasing every week (by 10%) to the detriment of a traditional diet (composition: 0.5 kg meadow hay, 0.3 kg barley, 0.2 kg wheat bran, salt and straw ad libitum). In the 10th week the animals consumed 0.5 kg granular synthetic diet, 0.2 kg cellulose flakes and 0.01 kg polystyrene. After three weeks of the administration of the fully synthetic diet, the rumen fluid was sampled after morning feeding in intervals of 0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 hours. In the dynamics of fermentation, statistically significant differences were found only in isobutyric and isovaleric acid between the 0th and 1st and between the 5th and 7th hours (P less than 0.05--P less than 0.001). The data for all the time intervals were recalculated to average values. These were as follows: total volatile fatty acids 63.03 mmol/l, acetic acid 51.00 mol%, propionic acid 26.75 mol%, butyric acid 19.43 mol%, isobutyric acid 0.91 mol%, isovaleric 1.27 mol%, valeric acid 0.62 mol%, energy efficiency of VFA production 78.23%. The obtained data are confronted with literary data on synthetic diets which contained urea and various energy sources.

[The digestibility of unprocessed beech sawdust and its effect on the utilization of food by goats and rams]. / Strávitel'nost neupravených bukových pilín a ich vplyv na vyuzitie krmnej dávky u kôz a skopov.

Trials were performed with wethers and goats to study the effect of non-conditioned beech sawdust (NBS) on the digestibility of nutrients and energy in granular diets. Besides this, the effect of the administration of different diets on the digestibility of NBS was studied by the in vitro method after Méllenberger et al. (1970). NBS was used in diets for replacing hay at the rates of 0, 5, 10 and 20%. The inclusion of NBS in diets reduced nutrient and energy digestibility in diets given to wethers and goats; the larger the proportion of NBP, the higher the reduction. Goats showed higher values of nutrient and energy digestibility than wethers. The digestibility of NBS dry matter determined by the in-vitro method increased with higher NBS proportions in diets, as found from rumen fluid sampled from wethers and goats fed different diets.

[The effect of unprocessed beech sawdust on rumen fermentation in rams and goats]. / Vplyv neupravených bukových pilín na bachorovú fermentáciu skopov a kôz.

In a trial with wethers and goats the effect of non-conditioned beech sawdust (NBS) was studied as exerted on ammonia concentration, total VFA concentration, molar VFA percentage, energetic yield of VFA production, on the acetate : propionate ratio in rumen contents, and on urea concentration in blood. NBS was used in diets to replace bulk forage. The proportions of NBS in diets were 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% (replacing hay). The results of the trials show that the administration of the different diets did not affect the concentration of ammonia and total VFA in the rumen content and the concentration of urea in blood. Goats showed an insignificant increase in the molar percentage of acetic acid, a decrease in the molar percentage of propionic acid and n-butyric acid when diets with gradated NBS proportions were administered, as well as an insignificant increase in the acetate : propionate ratio and a decrease in the energetic yield of VFA. In wethers the values of propionic and n-butyric acid were highly variable, which implied variation also in the acetate : propionate ration or in the energetic yield of VFA in the administration of different diets.

[Determination of the nutritional value of lignocellulose materials]. / Stanovenie výzivnej hodnoty lignocelulózových materiálov.

The determination of the nutritive value of various secondary wood products was conducted by the method of the in-vitro digestibility of dry matter (Mellenberger et al., 1970) and by detergent analyses of fibre (Goering and Van Soest, 1970). Rumen contents for trials in vitro were obtained from adult wethers having a permanent rumen fistula and fed good meadow hay ad lib. The animals also had free access to water and mineral lick for sheep. Out of the 11 lignocellulose materials tested, digestibility in vitro higher than 60% (equivalent to the digestibility of high-quality meadow hay) was only found in three samples. These are: a) beech sawdust II treated with 0.1M sulphuric acid at the hydromodulus of 1:8, temperature 100 to 130 degrees C for two hours, and pressure of 0.25 MPa and then with 0.47M nitric acid at the hydromodulus of 1:13, temperature 100 degrees C for two hours and pressure of 0.25 MPa; b) beech sawdust III treated as beech sawdust II and then neutralized with ammonia to pH 8; c) aspen sawdust treated hydrobarothermically at a temperature of 280 degrees C and pressure of 7 MPa in saturated vapour medium (Canon system). The high digestibility of these samples was due to a low lignin content so that the polysaccharides (cellulose and hemicelluloses) of these secondary wood sources could be sufficiently utilized by rumen microflora.