Effect of preparation Dihydroquercetin on growth-weight indices of broilers

Research is devoted to the study of the feasibility of using a natural antioxidant of plant origin as a biologically active additive to the basic diet and assessing the effectiveness of its use to increase the meat productivity of broiler chickens. In our work we examined the broiler chickens productivity and quality when using the drug ‘Dihydroquercetin’ (LLC’Kakhor’, Zima, Irkutsk region, Russia) in diets and established the amount of feed consumed and its costs per unit of production. Based on the studies, the addition of the preparation enables to increase the safety of broiler chickens by 20…30%, live mass - by 12…33%, mass of ripped carcass - by 15…38%, muscle tissue - by 3%, thoracic muscles - by 0.3…2%, and edible parts of carcass -by 2…6%. Moreover, the additive reduces the feed consumption by a head during the fattening period by an average of 46.09 g compared to the control.

How and why do bees buzz? Implications for buzz pollination

Buzz pollination encompasses the evolutionary convergence of specialised floral morphologies and pollinator behaviour in which bees use vibrations (floral buzzes) to remove pollen. Floral buzzes are one of several types of vibrations produced by bees using their thoracic muscles. Here I review how bees can produce these different types of vibrations and discuss the implications of this mechanistic understanding for buzz pollination. I propose that bee buzzes can be categorised according to their mode of production and deployment into: (1) thermogenic, which generate heat with little mechanical vibration; (2) flight buzzes, which combined with wing deployment and thoracic vibration, power flight, and (3) non-flight buzzes in which the thorax vibrates but the wings remain folded, and include floral, defence, mating, communication, and nest-building buzzes. I hypothesise that the characteristics of non-flight buzzes, including floral buzzes, can be modulated by bees via modification of the biomechanical properties of the thorax through activity of auxiliary muscles, changing the rate of activation of the indirect flight muscles, and modifying flower handling behaviours. Thus, bees should be able to fine-tune mechanical properties of their floral vibrations, including frequency and amplitude, depending on flower characteristics and pollen availability to optimise energy use and pollen collection.

Novel Variants of the Sternal Muscle in an Adult and an Anencephalic Infant: Embryological Insights and Clinical Implications

Background The sternal muscle is a supernumerary variant of the thoracic muscles found in 3–8% of the population. When present, it can be unilateral or bilateral, which can produce confusions during surgeries and imagenological examinations. Methods We report the finding of the sternalis muscle in two human cadavers, one adult and one anencephalic infant. The muscles were dissected from the fixed bodies and their morphometry analysed. Results In the case of the adult, we observed two sternal muscles connected in the superior portion by a central tendon. In the case of the anencephalic infant, we found a bilateral sternal muscle, in which the bellies came from the contralateral pectoralis major muscles. The two sternalis muscle variants found here were impossible to categorise according to the current classifications. Conclusions The sternalis muscle displays variants that are still not classified, as observed in the case of the adult and the infant, in which its presence was correlated with anencephaly. We discuss about this muscular variation in the clinical, imagenological and surgical context and propose a developmental link with the occurrence of neural tube closure defects.

Transmission of vibrations in buzz-pollinated plant species with disparate floral morphologies

In buzz-pollinated plants, bees apply vibrations produced by their thoracic muscles to the flower, causing pollen release from anthers, often through small apical pores. During floral buzzing, bees grasp one or more anthers with their mandibles, and vibrations are transmitted to the focal anther(s), adjacent anthers, and the whole flower. Because pollen release depends on the vibrations experienced by the anther, the transmission of vibrations through flowers with different morphologies may determine patterns of release, affecting both bee foraging and plant fitness. Anther morphology and intra-floral arrangement varies widely among buzz-pollinated plants. Here, we compare the transmission of vibrations among focal and non-focal anthers in four species with contrasting anther morphologies: Cyclamen persicum (Primulaceae), Exacum affine (Gentianaceae), Solanum dulcamara and S. houstonii (Solanaceae). We used a mechanical transducer to apply bee-like artificial vibrations to focal anthers, and simultaneously measured the vibration frequency and displacement amplitude at the tips of focal and non-focal anthers using high-speed video analysis (6,000 frames per second). In flowers in which anthers are tightly held together (C. persicum and S. dulcamara), vibrations in focal and non-focal anthers are indistinguishable in both frequency and displacement amplitude. In contrast, flowers with loosely arranged anthers (E. affine) including those in which stamens are morphologically differentiated within the same flower (heterantherous S. houstonii), show the same frequency but higher displacement amplitude in non-focal anthers compared to focal anthers. Our results suggest that stamen arrangement affects vibration transmission with potential consequences for pollen release and bee behaviour.

The Plasticity and Morphofunctional Organization of the Digestive System of Waders (Charadrii) as Migrants

The results of the macro-micromorphological structure of the digestive system of the waders and comparative analysis with the migrants of the Aves are presented. It was revealed that the digestive system of waders at the anatomical level has a universal structure typical for representatives of class Aves. As a result of histological studies of the structure of the digestive tract, it was found that the feature of the wall of the waders small intestine is the dense location of the crypt in its own plate of the mucous membrane throughout its length. High proliferative capacity of cambial crypt cells and their multilayered location provide high secretory and regenerative activity of enterocytes, which helps to restore the mucous membrane and intensify the digestive processes, especially during the active feeding of the waders at the migration stopover points. At this time, the length and mass of the intestine, the mass of the stomach and the liver increase, what is considered as a reaction to a large number of feeds in the intensive feeding of birds and indicates the plasticity of their digestive system. It is shown that the change in the morphometric parameters of the waders digestive system organs depending on the migration situation is an integral part of the adaptive mechanism of the migratory birds, which provides the basic need of the organism - fat accumulation. Th e content of general liver lipids, abdominal fat and thoracic muscles in 6 species of tundra warblers with varying degrees of fat accumulation at the migration stopover points in the Azov-Black Sea region was studied.

Circadian variation in metabolite and enzyme activities in the femoral and thoracic muscles of adult variegated grasshoppers, Zonocerus variegatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphidae)

The African variegated grasshopper, Zonocerus variegatus, exhibits daily variations in its feeding and destructive activities. A study to investigate circadian variation in metabolites (lipids, protein, glucose, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−) concentrations and enzymes (lipase, amylase, proteinase, α-glucosidase) activities in the femoral and thoracic muscles of adult Z. variegatus was carried out by collecting samples at 06:00, 12:00, 18:00 and 24:00 hrs GMT. The four enzymes were present throughout the day in both thoracic and femoral muscles but at varying levels. Significantly (p<0.05) higher enzymes activities were measured during the day (between 06:00 and 18:00 hours GMT) (except proteinase) than at night (24:00 hrs). Organic substances in the two tissues were present in significantly higher concentrations during the day than at night. Similarly, significantly more inorganic substances were recorded in the afternoon (12:00-18:00 hrs) than at night in both femoral and thoracic muscles. It can thus be concluded that locomotor activities in Z. variegatus reach a peak during the day.

Unusual presentation of a cutaneous leiomyoma of the neck simulating a goiter

<p>We report an unusual case of a large cutaneous leiomyoma. Dermal leiomyomas are rare and benign skin tumors derived from the smooth erector muscles of the hair. The patient was a 12-year-old child who came in for a consultation on a big cervical tumor of the anterior part of the neck which simulated goiter. The lesion evolved since the patient was five years old; it was consistently firm and was associated with skin ulceration and significant deep suppurations. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed that this tumor was limited to the soft and cutaneous tissues without invading the thoracic muscles. Surgical treatment allowed the excision of the gelatinous and well vascularized skin tumor measuring about 15 cm in diameter. Final histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of dermal leiomyoma.</p>