An improved freeze-dried blood diet for membrane feeding of glossina palpalis palpalis

• 1.1. The effect of fetal calf serum as an additive for reconstituted freeze-dried bovine and porcine blood for feeding Glossina palpalis palpalis was determined.
• 2.2. Reproductive performance of tsetse flies fed reconstituted freeze-dried bovine and porcine blood supplemented with fetal calf serum was higher than that of flies fed only freeze-dried blood.
• 3.3. Sonicated freeze-dried porcine blood supplemented with fetal calf serum resulted in a reproductive performance equivalent to that of flies fed on non-sonicated freeze-dried porcine blood and fetal calf serum.
• 4.4. A 50:50 mixture of freeze-dried porcine and freeze-dried bovine blood reconstituted and sonieated resulted in a reproductive performance equivalent to the highest ever attained for in vitro-reared G.p. palpalis.

     

Effects of milk fat,unhydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils on serum lipoproteins in growing pigs

• 1.1. Crossbred Yorkshire (Yorkshire × Landrace) pigs were fed butter oil, cream, low erucic acid rapeseed oil, sunflower oil and partially hydrogenated sunflower oil in amounts representing 30% of energy for periods of up to 13 weeks.
• 2.2. After 13 wk of feeding serum total cholesterol levels of pigs fed milk fat were significantly higher than of pigs fed vegetable oils.
• 3.3. The difference in cholesterol was mainly due to an increase in the density range of 1.063–1.125 g/ml containing pig LDL₂ and some HDL.
• 4.4. A shift towards smaller LDL particle size was apparent in pigs fed milk fat.
• 5.5. The effects of dietary trans fatty acids did not differ from cis polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fatty acids.

     

Effects of feeding on water balance and cutaneous drinking in the toad (Bufo bufo L.)

• 1.1. Toads fed mealworms ad libitum for 24-hr periods once a week retained water in the body in amounts that varied with meal size, as well as temporally.
• 2.2. The ratio between masses of water retained and mealworms eaten increased from about 0.5 in May to about 1.3 by mid-July, and declined again at the end of the seasonal feeding period. li[3. It is argued that this pattern reflects seasonal variation in the secretion of digestive (gastric) juice in response to meal size.
• 3.4. The cutaneous drinking response, reflected in number of visits to the water source, increased in strength with successive feedings.
• 4.5. It is suggested that the drinking response to feeding included a secondary, behavioural component, superimposed upon a primary response to feeding.

     

Comparison of fibre digestion and digesta retention time between nutrias (Myocaster coypus) and guinea-pigs (Cavia porcellus)

• 1.1. Digestibilities of feed, and transit and retention time of fluid and particle digesta marker measured in nutrias (Myocaster coypus) and guinea-pigs (Cavia porcellus) fed on a diet containing 50% alfalfa.
• 2.2. The digestibility of fibre was higher in the nutria, along with the longer retention time of digesta.
• 3.3. The liquid and particle marker were similarly excreted, suggesting no separation mechanism in the gastrointestinal tract of both the animals.
• 4.4. The apparent digestibility of protein in the nutria was superior to the guinea-pig and other small hindgut fermenters, suggesting that the contribution of coprophagy on protein nutrition of nutrias is significant.

     

Purification and characterization of elastase from the pyloric caeca of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

• 1.1. An elastase-like enzyme was purified from the pyloric caeca of rainbow trout by hydrophobic interaction, cation exchange and gel-filtration chromatography.
• 2.2. The approximate molecular weight of the elastase was 27 kDa and the isoelectric point was remarkably basic.
• 3.3. The pH optimum of this enzyme was 8.0, when assayed with Succinyl-Ala-Ala-Ala-p-Nitroanilide.
• 4.4. When assayed with Succinyl-Ala-Ala-Ala-p-Nitroanilide, the enzyme activity had a temperature optimum of 45°C, and the enzyme was stable up to this temperature.
• 5.5. The trout elastase exhibited a higher specific activity than porcine elastase against Succinyl-Ala-Ala-Ala-p-Nitroanilide and elastin-orcein.
• 6.6. The trout elastase was inhibited by elastatinal, PMSF, TPCK, SBTI and Bowman-Birk inhibitor.

     

Lipoxygenase of Thermoactinomyces vulgaris,purification and characterization of reaction products

• 1.1. A lipoxygenase preparation was obtained from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris and was purified by affinity chromatography on a linoleyl aminoethyl sepharose column.
• 2.2. Two active fractions were obtained.
• 3.3. The fraction obtained by elution with 100 mM borate buffer pH 9.0 was used in the subsequent work.
• 4.4. Th. vulgaris lipoxygenase oxidized linoleic acid into two products: 13-HPOD and 9-HPOD at a ratio of 44 to 56, respectively.
• 5.5. The identification and characterization of the isomers was done by HPLC, I.R. and mass spectrometry.
• 6.6. When arachidonic acid was used as substrate, 15-HPETE and 15-HETE were found to be the main enzymatic products.

     

Cross-correlation analysis of cerebrobuccal connective activity during Aplysia feeding behaviour

• 1.1. Two “en passant” electrodes were implanted around the cerebrobuecal connective (CBC) of Aplysia and used to record the activity, in the unrestrained animal, under three behavioural conditions; (a) absence of feeding behaviour, (b) appetitive feeding behaviour and (c) consummatory feeding behaviour.
• 2.2. The two simultaneous recordings were subjected to cross-correlation analysis, to subdivide spikes on the basis of their direction and speed of propagation.
• 3.3. There was virtually no CBC activity in the absence of food and feeding behaviour.
• 4.4. During appetitive feeding the metacerebral giant cell (MCC) was active and traffic was heaviest in the cerebral-to-buccal direction.
• 5.5. During consummatory feeding, traffic was also sustained in the buccal-to-cerebral direction; there was a reduction in the activity of the MCC, and a peak in the activity travelling to the cerebral ganglia, in the region of higher conduction velocity, was especially pronounced.
• 6.6. Further analysis showed this peak to have its largest amplitude during the actual ingestion of food and to be the result of the firing of several different units.
• 7.7. CBC traffic in both directions was also activated in one case of “spontaneous” biting.

     

Distribution of beta-adrenergic binding in fractionated porcine adipocytes

• 1.1. The subcellular distribution of the porcine adipocyte beta-adrenergic receptor was studied in fractionated adipocytes.
• 2.2. The 30,000 g pellet obtained from hypotonically lysed cells contained membrane vesicles and mitochondria; it yielded approx 200–300 fmol dihydroalprenolol-bound receptors/mg protein.
• 3.3. Activity was increased to about 1000 fmol/mg protein after isolation of a plasma membrane fraction on a Percoll gradient.
• 4.4. The 5'-nucleotidase, succinate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase activities were usually enriched in compartments different from the ligand-binding activity.
• 5.5. Activity of porcine adipocyte 5'-nucleotidase, a purported plasma membrane marker enzyme, was not distributed in the same manner as the beta-adrenergic receptor.

     

Alterations in proteases,protease inhibitors and ecdysone levels: a profile of stress in insects

• 1.1. A comparison of proteolytic and protease inhibitory activity, and ecdysteroid levels in body fluids was made between normal larvae of the flesh fly, Sarcophaga bullata, and those that had been water-stressed for two days.
• 2.2. The course of proteolytic activity in water stressed flies decreases 6 hr after beginning the experiment and remains low in comparison with control flies.
• 3.3. The course of protease inhibitors exhibits a mirror image pattern to proteases.
• 4.4. Ecdysteroid pattern shows two peaks in control animals: minor at 24 hr and major at pupariation, in experimental animals: at 1 hr, at 6 hr and at white pupal stage.

     

Structural features of carbohydrate chains in human salivary mucins

• 1.1. The structure of carbohydrate chains in the low and high molecular weight mucus glycoprotein forms from submandibular-sublingual saliva of individuals with blood group B was investigated.
• 2.2. Alkaline borohydride reductive cleavage of the glycoproteins yielded in each case a population of neutral (55%) and acidic (45%) oligosaccharide alditols ranging in size from 3 to 16 sugar units.
• 3.3. The predominant neutral oligosaccharides in both glycoprotein forms consisted of 16 and 15 sugar units arranged in triantennary fashion, and carried blood group B and I antigenic determinants.
• 4.4. Three of the oligosaccharides in each glycoprotein contained sialic acid and ranged in size from 3 to 12 sugar units. In two oligosaccharides sialic acid was linked to C3 of galactose and in one to C6 of N-acetylgalactosamine. The sulfated oligosaccharide in both glycoproteins was identified as a pentasaccharide with the sulfate ester group at C6 of N-acetylglucosamine.
• 5.5. The results demonstrate that contrary to the earlier view the low and high molecular weight mucus glycoprotein forms of human saliva contain identical carbohydrate chains.

     

Chemical feeding stimulants for the herbivorous fish,Tilapia zillii

• 1.1. Chemical feeding stimulants for an herbivorous fish, Tilapia zillii have been determined by fractionation and bioassay of substances derived from a model food plant.
• 2.2. Stimulation was produced by amino acids; glutamic acid, aspartic acid, serine, lysine and alanine produced the bulk of stimulatory activity.
• 3.3. These amino acids are among the most abundant in the test plant, and are markedly different from the amino acids found to stimulate feeding in carnivorous fish.
• 4.4. On the basis of these results, a chemically-mediated mechanism of feeding niche separation is postulated.

     

Comparative analysis of cuticular hydrocarbons in the Drosophila virilis species group

• 1.1. Chemical structures were determined for the cuticular alkanes, alkenes, and certain of the alkadienes for 11 D. virilis group species.
• 2.2. Male-specific hydrocarbons occurred in five species: these were 9-heneicosene in D. americana and D. novamexicana, 10-heneicosene in D. virilis, 5,13- and 5,15-pentacosadienes in D. kanekoi, and 9-pentacosene in one strain of D. lummei.
• 3.3. Hydrocarbon profiles of newly emerged flies always differed from mature files.
• 4.4. Relationships among the species, with respect to hydrocarbon profiles, were investigated by cluster analysis.

     

Lipid components and utilization in consumers of a seagrass community: An indication of carbon source

• 1.1. The lipid components of three animals, the rock crab Nectocarcinus integrifons, the rock flathead Platycephalus laevigatus and the southern garfish Hyporhamphus melanochir, feeding in the seagrass beds at Corner Inlet, Victoria, Australia have been examined in detail in order to provide further information on seagrass community structure.
• 2.2. Biological marker compounds detected within animal gut content material were used to recognize dietary sources and then utilized by community members.
• 3.3. Both H. melanochir and N. integrifons have been shown to ingest and to varying degrees incorporate seagrass lipid material, thus further confirming the importance of seagrass carbon in the Corner Inlet environment.
• 4.4. The southern sea garfish H. melanochir is observed to remove C₁₈ PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) from ingested seagrass material.
• 5.5. Seagrass sterols are altered during incorporation into the lipids of this fish.
• 6.6. Lipid-rich digestive juices play a role in the digestive processes of all three animals.
• 7.7. Components tentatively identified as (NMI) (non-methylene interrupted) fatty acids have been detected in the lipids of the garfish H. melanochir and the crab N. integrifons.
• 8.8. The fecal material of all three animals represent possible sources of these lipids (NMI acids) in Corner Inlet sediments.
• 9.9. Based on lipid compositional data, N. integrifons feeds on Posidonia australis detritus and associated epiphyte material.
• 10.10. The removal of both plant and epibiota cellular lipids along the digestive tract of the crab was observed, although structural components such as long chain mono- and α,ω-dicarboxylic acids, which have been previously recognized as seagrass marker lipids are not directly absorbed.

     

Breast,hips, and buttocks revisited: Honest fatness for honest fitness

This paper comments on: Low, B. S., Alexander, R. D., and Noonan, K.M. Human hips, breast, and buttocks: Is fat deceptive? Ethology and Sociobiology 8: 249-247, 1987. In it I argue that:

• 1.1. Sexual selection has probably not been the most important selection pressure on
• 2.female human body shape.
• 3.2. Male humans in different cultures find different aspects of the female body attractive
• 4.and therefore are unlikely to have exerted consistent directional sexual selection on
• 5.the female body.
• 6.3. Breast size is not correlated with lactation success.
• 7.4. Visible hip width is not correlated with parturition success.
• 8.5. Women would lower their fitness if they tried to deceive men about their internal
• 9.pelvic dimensions.
• 10.6. There are many alternative hypothesis to explain the existence of fat onwomen's
• 11.breast, hips, and buttocks.

     

Transport of cholesterol in the hemolymph of the mollusc Diplodon delodontus

• 1.1. The dietary and inter-organ cholesterol transport in the hemolymph of the bivalve mollusc Diplodon delodontus, was studied. Plasma and hemocytes were obtained after feeding labeled cholesterol to animals or injecting it into the posterior adductor muscle.
• 2.2. In both cases, cholesterol was incorporated either into plasma or hematic cells.
• 3.3. Two plasmatic fractions differing in their hydrated densities were recognized as cholesterol carriers and were isolated. They have characteristics of high density (HDL) and very high density (VHDL) lipoproteins, respectively.
• 4.4. The major lipids in the different classes of lipoproteins were free sterols in HDL and phospholipids in VHDL.
• 5.5. Neither low nor very low density lipoprotein transporting cholesterol was detected.

     

Feeding and a serotonergic interneuron activate an identified autoactive salivary neuron in Limax maximus

• 1.1. A single neuron is found in each buccal ganglion of the giant garden slug, Limax maximus, which is autoactive and has an axon in both the ipsilateral and contralateral salivary nerve.
• 2.2. This neuron, the bilateral salivary neuron (BSN), is a slow bursting neuron and is presynaptic to some of the secretory acinar cells of the salivary gland.
• 3.3. Increases in BSN action potential frequency and saliva flow during the generation of feeding motor program are shown, as is the relationship of BSN activity to that of other salivary neurons.
• 4.4. BSN is affected synaptically by the serotonergic metacerebral giant cell.

     

Circadian rhythms of determined blood chemistry values in buzzards and eagle owls

• 1.1. Fifteen values were determined in blood samples from six buzzards (Buteo buteo) and six eagle owls (Bubo bubo) over the 24 hr of the day.
• 2.2. Glucose, urea, uric acid, triglyceride and calcium values showed diurnal rhythms in both species. Their respective patterns of diurnal variation were compared.
• 3.3. Phosphorus, cholesterol and cholinesterase levels underwent circadian rhythms only in the buzzards. Albumin/globulin and amylase exhibited diurnal variations exclusively in the eagle owls.
• 4.4. Glutamatic oxaloacetic transaminase, albumin, globulin, total protein and creatinine concentrations did not show diurnal rhythms in either of the species.
• 5.5. Blood values of the different parameters were studied on the basis of the ranges described in birds.

     

Effects of soluble corn bran hemicellulose on lipid metabolism

• 1.1. Since soluble corn bran hemicellulose (CBH) was found to reduce serum cholesterol level in the rat fed with a high cholesterol diet, rats were fed with diets containing orotic acid (OA) to investigate the effect of CBH on lipid metabolism.
• 2.2. Hepatic lipid accumulation induced by OA was reduced by feeding with CBH in rats. The reduction was not due to inhibition of intestinal absorption of OA by CBH.
• 3.3. Administration of acetate or propionate, colonie fermentation products of CBH, tended to alleviate the hepatic lipid accumulation by OA in rats.
• 4.4. OA feeding decreased activities of some hepatic enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis except for acetyl CoA carboxylase. The decreases were reversed by the concurrent feeding of CBH.

     

The energy burden of the bopyrid parasite Argeia pauperata (Crustacea,isopoda) on the grass shrimp Crangon franciscorum (Crustacea,crangonidae)

• 1.1. The relationship between host and parasite rates of energy metabolism was used to estimate the energy burden of Argeia pauperata on its host Crangon franciscorum.
• 2.2. Respiration rates of the host were not significantly affected by the parasite even though the caloric turnover rate of the parasite was more than three times that of the host.
• 3.3. The ratios of both energy expenditure and size of the parasite to those of the host were positively correlated with host size.

     

Increased muscle glucose uptake in response to chronic glyburide treatment is not related to changes in glucose transporter (GLUT4) protein

• 1.1. The mechanism of action of glyburide (a sulfonylurea) on muscle has been investigated by measuring glucose uptake and glucose transporter (GLUT4) protein levels after chronic glyburide treatment.
• 2.2. A dietary induced insulin resistant rat model (4 wk of high-fat, high-sucrose feeding) was given glyburide (2mg/kg/day) for 10 days and glucose uptake was measured in a perfused hindquarter preparation.
• 3.3. Protein levels of the GLUT4 glucose transporter were determined by Western analysis.
• 4.4. After 7 days of treatment, rats fed glyburide had lower blood glucose concentrations 2 hr (72 ± 5 vs 103 ± 12 mg/dl) and 24 hr (97 ± 7 vs 123 ± 7 mg/dl) after glyburide administration with no difference in serum insulin levels compared to vehicle treated animals.
• 5.5. Glucose uptake was approx doubled in basal state (0 insulin) in response to glyburide (2.8 + 0.4 vs 1.7 ± 0.2μ mol/g per hr).
• 6.6. Maximal insulin (100 nM) stimulated glucose uptake tended to be higher in the glyburide treated group, but did not reach statistical significance (8.0 ± 0.7 vs 7.0 ± 0.6 μmol/g per hr).
• 7.7. Western analysis revealed no significant effect of glyburide on the GLUT4 protein level in skeletal muscle.
• 8.8. These results suggest that glyburide alters glucose uptake through some mechanism other than alterations in the level of the GLUT4 glucose transporter protein.