Egg quality of Japanese quail depends on layer age and storage time

The aim of the study was to analyse egg quality changes of Japanese quail during the reproductive season and after several days of storage. A significantly higher egg weight was recorded in week 9 than in week 25 and week 31 of age ofbirds. The egg specific gravity value of eggs also decreased with the age of quails. The smallest yolk weight and its percentage proportion in egg mass were observed in week 25. Eggs laid in weeks 9 and 25 were characterised by similar and lower (P < or = 0.05) white weight in comparison to those examined on the last date. The highest white proportion in egg weight was recorded during the 25th week. The value of this trait was similar or smaller on the remaining dates. Similar and lower values of the white index and Haugh units, in comparison with the first date, were determined in eggs laid on weeks 25 and 31, whereas similar and greater eggshell thickness than in the 9th week of age was recorded on the last two dates of examination. Lower (P < or = 0.05) egg weight was observed after 5 and 8 than after 0 (measured on the day of laying) days of storage. Likewise, smaller egg specific gravity was recorded after three consecutive periods of storage in comparison with the eggs examined on the day of laying. Eggs examined after 3, 5 and 8 days of storage, in comparison with those stored for 0 days, were characterised by lower yolk index. Significantly smaller weight and white index than after 0 days were determined in eggs stored, respectively, for 5 and 8 as well as for 3, 5 and 8 days. Similarly, smaller numbers of Haugh units were determined after 3 consecutive storage periods in comparison with the eggs examined on the day of laying. Eggs stored for 0 and 3 days were characterised by a greater eggshell weight than those examined after 5 and 8 days. The weight of Japanese quail eggs decreased significantly from day 5 onwards, whereas the egg specific gravity-- from the 3rd day of storage. Yolk and white quality began to deteriorate already after 3 days of egg storage. It appears, therefore, that egg storage of Japanese quails before hatching lasting more than 3 days in the analysed conditions deteriorated the eggshell quality and internal egg traits.     

Effect of sesamol on radiation-induced cytotoxicity in Swiss albino mice

The radio-protective ability of sesamol (SM) at various doses viz., 0, 10, 25, 40, 50, 70 and 100 mg/kg bw, administered intraperitoneally 30 min prior to 9.5 Gy whole-body γ-irradiation was studied in Swiss albino mice. Radiation toxicity and mortality were observed during a period of 30 days and the percentage mortality was calculated. SM pretreatment with 50 mg/kg bw was found to be the most effective dose in maintaining body weight and in reducing the percentage mortality, while 100 mg/kg bw was found to be more effective in maintaining the spleen index and in stimulation of endogenous spleen colony-forming units. Pretreatment with SM (50 mg/kg bw) in mice irradiated with 15 Gy significantly reduced dead, inflammatory, mitotic and goblet cells in irradiated jejunum. SM at 50 mg/kg bw also increased crypt cells, maintained villus height, and prevented mucosal erosion. Nuclear enlargement in epithelial cells was found less in SM-treated mice compared with the irradiated control. The radiation-induced decrease in endogenous antioxidant enzymes (GSH, GST, catalase) and the increase in lipid peroxidation were also reduced by pretreatment with SM [50 and 100 mg/kg bw] at all monitored post-irradiation intervals. There was no protection at a dose less than 25 mg/kg bw.     

Conceptualizing world art studies: An introduction

This special issue aims to contribute to the conceptualization of World Art Studies. The first two articles offer evaluative views from art history, the third and fourth perspectives from anthropology, the fifth and sixth arguments for including neo-evolutionary and neurological studies in understanding world art as a universal human behavior.     

Cytokinesis-defective mutants of Arabidopsis

We have identified mutations in six previously uncharacterized genes of Arabidopsis, named club, bublina, massue, rod, bloated, and bims, that are required for cytokinesis. The mutants are seedling lethal, have morphological abnormalities, and are characterized by cell wall stubs, gapped walls, and multinucleate cells. In these and other respects, the new mutants are phenotypically similar to knolle, keule, hinkel, and pleiade mutants. The mutants display a gradient of stomatal phenotypes, correlating roughly with the severity of their cytokinesis defect. Similarly, the extent to which the different mutant lines were capable of growing in tissue culture correlated well with the severity of the cytokinesis defect. Phenotypic analysis of the novel and previously characterized loci indicated that the secondary consequences of a primary defect in cytokinesis include anomalies in body organization, organ number, and cellular differentiation, as well as organ fusions and perturbations of the nuclear cycle. Two of the 10 loci are required for both cytokinesis and root hair morphogenesis. The results have implications for the identification of novel cytokinesis genes and highlight the mechanistic similarity between cytokinesis and root hair morphogenesis, two processes that result in a rapid deposition of new cell walls via polarized secretion.     

Insect Trypsin Modulating Oostatic Factor (Neb-TMOF) and Its Analogs: Preliminary Structure/Biological Function Relationship Studies

Summary Neb-TMOF, the trypsin modulating oostatic factor of gray fleshflyNeobellieria bullata, is a hexapeptide with the following sequence: H-Asn-Pro-Thr-Asn-Leu-His-OH. It has been isolated from vitellogenic ovaries in 1994. TMOF, the newly discovered insect peptide, inhibits trypsin biosynthesis in the gut, lowers yolk polypeptide concentration in the hemolymph and strongly inhibits ecdysone biosynthesis by larval ring glands. It is interesting that this short non-protected peptide contains in its molecule two Asn residues at positions 1 and 4 and His at its C-terminus. To obtain information about the role of the His-6 and Asn-4 residues we synthesised two series of Neb-TMOF analogs, modified: (1) in position 6 byd-His (I), His(Bzl) (II) and Phe(p-X) derivatives, where X=NH₂ (III), NO₂ (IV), OEt (V) and OH (VI) and (2) in position 4 by such amino acid residues as Ser (VII), Thr (VIII), Gly (IX), Asp (X), Glu (XI) andd-Asn (XII). The influence of these peptides on trypsin biosynthesis inN. bullata was determinedin vivo. In preliminary investigations, we found that Neb-TMOF, [Phe(NH₂)⁶], and [Phe(NO₂)⁶]-Neb-TMOF inhibited trypsin biosynthesis, whereas [d-His)⁶]- and [d-His(Bzl)⁶]-Neb-TMOF were inactive. In further biological studies performedin vitro on heart ofTenebrio molitor were found that-TMOF and [Phe(p-NH₂)⁶]-Neb-TMOF showed weak cardioexcitatory activity, about 30% of the cardioexcitatory activity of proctolin, an insect neuromodulating peptide.     

Changes of plasma insulin, urea, amino acids and rumen metabolites in somatotropin treated dairy cows

Summary An experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of somatotropin on plasma free amino acid, urea and insulin concentrations and rumen fermentation pattern and to assess their relationships. Four Italian Friesian dairy cows fitted with rumen cannulae were used in a switch-back design. Slow releasing recombinant bovine somatotropin (640 mg/cow) was injected every 28 days for two consecutive periods. Rumen fluid and blood samples were collected before and after feeding at 0, 7 and 21 days after rbST injection. Exogenous rbST increased plasma insulin concentration and the insulin response to feeding, and decreased plasma urea and free essential and branched chain amino acid concentrations. rbST did not affect rumen fermentation pattern. No correlation was found between rumen and plasma parameters measured after feeding. Our results are consistent with the notion that the main effect of somatotropin is post-absorptive.     

Characterization of β-glucosidase activity in yeasts of oenological origin

I. ROSI, M. VINELLA AND P. DOMIZIO. 1994. Three hundred and seventeen strains representing 20 species of yeasts were screened for the presence of β-glucosidase activity. All of the strains of the species Debaryomyces castellii, Deb. hansenii, Deb. polymorphus, Kloeckera apiculata and Hansenula anomala showed β-glucosidase activity, but only one of 153 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The other species behaved differently, depending upon the strain. The strains that hydrolysed arbutin were checked to localize the β-glucosidase activity. A strain of Deb. hansenii exhibited the highest exocellular activity and some wall-bound and intracellular activity. The β-glucosidase synthesis from this yeast was enhanced by aerobic conditions of growth, was repressed by high glucose concentration (9%) and occurred during exponential growth. The optimum conditions for enzymatic preparations of Deb. hansenii were between pH 4.0 and 5.0 and 40C. A high concentration of ethanol and glucose did not reduce the ezymatic activity. The enzymatic preparations of Deb. hansenii released monoterpenols and other alcohols from a grape glycoside extract.     

Karyotype 46,XY,22p+ in a male patient (author's transl)

The authors report the case of a 2-month-old infant with psychomotor retardation and several physical stigmata. Cytogenetic studies of the patient using the normal technique show in all the cells a karyotype 46,XY with a G group chromosome substituted by an F-like mediocentric element with satellites. The R, G and C-banding methods reveal that it is the 22 with too developed short arms (22p+). This element was found in the mother's and maternal grandfather's karyotypes although they both present normal phenotypes. The authors advance two hypotheses concerning the origin of the alteration but cannot exclude a possible connection between this particular chromosome and the proband's anomalies. The difficulties of genetic counselling in this case are evident.