Non-invasive Monitoring of Antioxidants and Stress in Captive Indian Leopards

Background: Captive Indian leopards are exposed to different kind of stresses part of which can be alleviated through supplementation of carotenoids. However, invasive monitoring of antioxidants is often pro-act as a stressor itself. Hence, use of non-invasive monitoring of antioxidants and stress would be desirable. However, before recommendation, such non-invasive procedures must be compared with conventional ones. Hence, this experiment was designed to compare the cortisol and total antioxidants (TAA) status measured either in serum or faecal samples. Methods: Three diets were tested on twelve adult leopards (7 M and 5 F, BW ranging from 45-63 kg) in an experiment based on replicated Latin square design comprising of three treatments, three periods and three sequences and four animals in each sequence. The ratio of buffalo meat: chicken carcass was 100:0, 90:10 and 80:10 in groups CON, GI and GII, respectively. Result: Intake and absolute quantity of carotenoids absorbed increased (P less than 0.01) with increased level of chicken carcass; however, efficiency of absorption was lower (P less than 0.05) in GII as compared to other two groups. Faecal concentrations of cortisol decreased (P less than 0.0001) and TAA increased (P less than 0.0001) with increased level of carotenoids in the diet. Irrespective of the dietary treatments, concentration of cortisol was lower (P less than 0.0001) and TAA was higher in faecal as compared to serum samples. Regression analysis revealed positive relationship between serum and faecal sample assay with respect to both TAA and cortisol. Thus, faecal samples could be used to monitor cortisol and antioxidant status in Indian leopards. Assay of faecal samples indicated that replacement of buffalo meat with chicken at 20% in the diet improved the antioxidants and alleviated stress in captive leopards.

Experience of morphofunclional indices use at fish health control in aquaculture

Results of work have been summarized on use of some morphofunclional indices at fish health control in aquaculture. Their use helps efficiently and intravitally estimate and reject sick specimen having a low immune status. It has been revealed that the most important but labour-intensive indices are hematological ones which can be changeable at deseases of various nature and may be used at appraisal of stress-response. Indices of hemoglobin content, erythrocytes and leukocytes numbers, erythropoeitic activities, leukocytal formula as well as the absolute quantity of different leukocytes groups are informative characteristics for efficient control. The express-method of fish stress aiagnostics has been developed and worked through with application of gluco-and multisticks for estimation of 10 biochemical parameters in mucus and of glucose in blood within 2 or 3 minutes. It has bees shown that the level of a non-specific resistance and adaptive possibilifies of some specimen affect heterogeneity of indices values determined what allows to reveal the part of weakened specimen and to estimate necessity of correcting activities as well as to predict the result of the situation formed with reared fish.

Continental-Scale Microbiome Study Reveals Different Environmental Characteristics Determining Microbial Richness, Composition, and Quantity in Hotel Rooms

ABSTRACT Culture-independent microbiome surveys have been conducted in homes, hospitals, schools, kindergartens and vehicles for public transport, revealing diverse microbial distributions in built environments. However, microbiome composition and the associated environmental characteristics have not been characterized in hotel environments. We presented here the first continental-scale microbiome study of hotel rooms (n = 68) spanning Asia and Europe. Bacterial and fungal communities were described by amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and quantitative PCR. Similar numbers of bacterial (4,344) and fungal (4,555) operational taxonomic units were identified in the same sequencing depth, but most fungal taxa showed a restricted distribution compared to bacterial taxa. Aerobic, ubiquitous bacteria dominated the hotel microbiome with compositional similarity to previous samples from building and human nasopharynx environments. The abundance of Aspergillus was negatively correlated with latitude and accounted for ∼80% of the total fungal load in seven low-latitude hotels. We calculated the association between hotel microbiome and 16 indoor and outdoor environmental characteristics. Fungal composition and absolute quantity showed concordant associations with the same environmental characteristics, including latitude, quality of the interior, proximity to the sea, and visible mold, while fungal richness was negatively associated with heavy traffic (95% confidence interval [CI] = −127.05 to −0.25) and wall-to-wall carpet (95% CI = −47.60 to −3.82). Bacterial compositional variation was associated with latitude, quality of the interior, and floor type, while bacterial richness was negatively associated with recent redecoration (95% CI −179.00 to −44.55) and mechanical ventilation (95% CI = −136.71 to −5.12). IMPORTANCE This is the first microbiome study to characterize the microbiome data and associated environmental characteristics in hotel environments. In this study, we found concordant variation between fungal compositional variation and absolute quantity and discordant variation between community variation/quantity and richness. Our study can be used to promote hotel hygiene standards and provide resource information for future microbiome and exposure studies associated with health effects in hotel rooms.

Reinventing exergy as indicator for resource depletion impacts in LCA

While resource aspects are gaining increasing importance for the sustainability assessment of new technologies, the question of how to assess the depletion of abiotic resources is still controversially discussed. Different methodologies exist for their quantification within life cycle assessment (LCA). Among them, thermodynamic approaches have the advantage of considering aspects of absolute quantity (reserves or amount of a substance contained in total in earth’s crust) and of quality (concentration of the target element in the mined resource), making them a potentially appealing approach for assessing resource depletion. However, existing approaches are either far from the original thermodynamic idea of exergy or far too complex and not applicable for resource accounting. This work briefly discusses the suitability of exergy-based approaches for resource assessment, and then suggests a simple but comprehensive methodology for quantifying resource depletion related with the concept of chemical concentration exergy (MDPces). It provides a calculation approach for quantifying the MDPces and estimates the corresponding values for some representative key metals.

Effectiveness of the Public Distribution System: A Critical Review

Public Distribution System (PDS) started from 1997 for providing essential commodities like rice, wheat, sugar etc. to a large number of people through a network of 5.35 lakh Fair Price Shops (FPS) on a recurring basis at a subsidized price to boost food and nutritional security in India. Whether the PDS is effective to reach targeted people is under serious concern. The problem arises as supply exceeds demand at Minimum Support Price (MSP) of food grains. Over the last 7 years, the average procurement of food grains (rice and wheat) has been around 25 per cent of production. The rising MSP of foodgrains during the last 7 years which enhances the chance of increased subsidy amount given by government resulting increased quantity of food grains procurement and inflation in input prices at constant Central Issue Prices (CIP). Gulati and Saini [1] evaluated under various studies- since 1999-2000 to 2011-12 which narrates about rising leakages of food grains from 9 per cent in 1999-2000 to 36 per cent in 2011-12. In terms of absolute quantity of grains pilfered, of the total quantity of 25.91 MMT pilfered, UP stands at the top with almost 4 MMT (15.3%) pilfered from PDS in 2011-12. There are 39.6 per cent poor having ration cards and 60.4 per cent poor having no cards. There are 26.3 per cent non-poor having ration cards causing inclusion error. The exclusion error is severe as a Type-II error causing 70.5 per cent total in India. There are many loopholes in PDS, leading to ineffectiveness and inefficiency in achieving its objectives. It needs reforms like the transparent selection of beneficiaries, universalization, end to end computerization, more commodities to be included, an effective grievance redressal agency, ADHAAR based PDS, the inclusion of innovative schemes like food coupon, smart card etc. More or less, the innovative mechanism in PDS has to be assessed before implementation to enhance effectiveness and check further error.

Newton’s Scholium on Time, Space, Place and Motion

In the Scholium to the Definitions at the beginning of the Principia, Newton distinguishes absolute time, space, place, and motion from their relative counterparts. He argues that they are indeed ontologically distinct, in that the absolute quantity cannot be reduced to some particular category of the relative, as Descartes had attempted by defining absolute motion to be relative motion with respect to immediately ambient bodies. Newton’s rotating bucket experiment, rather than attempting to show that absolute motion exists, is one of five arguments from the properties, causes, and effects of motion. These arguments attempt to show that no such program can succeed, and thus that true motion can be adequately analyzed only by invoking immovable places, that is, the parts of absolute space.

BIOGENIC AKWA-BIOT-NORM FEED ADDITIVE IN REALIZATION OF BIORESOURCE POTENTIAL OF STURGEON FISHES

Research work on an assessment of efficiency of biogenic Akwa-Biot-Norm feed additive developed by scientists is carried out. It is established that application to Lena sturgeon of biogenic feed additive on the basis of a polysaccharide complex of barmy cages Saccharomyces cerevisiae stimulated growth and development of fishes, promoted reliable increase in concentration of hemoglobin, both due to increase in quantity of erythrocytes, and due to increase of their functional activity that demonstrates activization of a gemopoez, increase in intensity of oxidationreduction processes and metabolism in general. Increase in absolute quantity of leukocytes, with the expressed increase in a share of lymphocytes and decrease in relative quantity of neutrophils, basophiles and eosinophils within physiological norms is revealed. These changes of leukocyte profile of Lena sturgeon testify to high extent of development of a cellular link of immunity. The amount of the general protein has increased in serum of blood of Lena sturgeon, which demonstrates activization of synthetic processes in organism of sturgeons and, as a result, increase the intensity of their growth. Significantly increased the value of such indicators of nonspecific resistance of organism of fishes as bactericidal activity of serum of blood for 4,0 %, phagocytic activity of neutrophils – for 5,5 % and concentration of proteolytic enzyme of lysozyme – for 142,9 % that demonstrates activization of cellular and humoral links of nonspecific resistance of an organism. The conducted researches are confirmed by efficiency of application of biogenic Akwa-Biot-Norm feed additive for stimulation of growth and prevention of incidence of fishes due to activization of nonspecific resistance of an organism in the conditions of ecological and technological pressure.