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Isolated fallopian tubal torsion is rare among women of reproductive age, and it is even rarer during pregnancy. Despite its rare incidence, it is important to consider this diagnosis to facilitate prompt and effective intervention. We present the case of a pregnant woman in her third trimester who presented with acute right abdominal pain. A 32-year-old primigravida woman at 29 weeks and four days of gestation visited the emergency department with acute right flank and abdominal pain. Sonography and MRI revealed the presence of a right adnexal cystic mass. Exploratory laparoscopy revealed isolated right tubal torsion and a normal ovary. To avoid torsion recurrence, we performed laparoscopic right salpingectomy. The remainder of her gestation was uneventful. Histopathological examination revealed serous cystadenoma with haemorrhagic infarction. We reviewed the literature for cases of isolated tubal torsion in the past 11 years. Twenty-three case reports were included in this study, and the average time from presentation to surgical intervention was 35.6 hours. In these cases, most of the patients underwent laparotomy and had good pregnancy outcomes. Although the approach may vary depending on the situation, the laparoscopic approach should be preferred to laparotomy in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Vitamin D deficiency is common during pregnancy and may cause complications such as preterm labor (PTL). This study was aimed to investigate the effect of the vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP) rs7041 genotype, which has a significant effect on vitamin D metabolism and PTL.This cross-sectional study was conducted with 32 pregnant women who had spontaneous PTL and 54 pregnant women who had no specific findings as a control group. Serum total vitamin D 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were measured using the Elecsys Vitamin D Total Kit. VDBP was measured using a VDBP Quantikine ELISA Kit. The levels of bioavailable 25(OH)D were calculated based on the total 25(OH)D and VDBP concentrations. DNA was extracted using the DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs7041) in GC were analyzed using a TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assay Kit. The unpairedTotal 25(OH)D levels were not significantly different between the two groups. Bioavailable 25(OH)D was significantly decreased in PTL women (Pregnant women with the VDBP rs7041(c.1296 T G) T allele genotype had reduced serum levels of bioavailable 25(OH)D and were more likely to develop PTL. Therefore, if the T allele is found in the VDBP rs7041 SNP genotyping test before or during pregnancy, more careful prenatal care may be required because of the increased risk of PTL.

Greenhouse workers synthesize less vitamin D because ultraviolet light is blocked by the vinyl that covers the greenhouses. This study aimed to investigate the vitamin D status and bone health of postmenopausal women working in greenhouses.This observational study enrolled women living in urban (n = 70, group 1) and rural areas (n = 91, group 2) and those working in greenhouses (n = 112, group 3). Serum levels of total and bioavailable 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D] and vitamin D binding protein were measured. T-scores of the lumbar spine and femur neck were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptionetry.Heights were shorter in group 2 and group 3 than in group 1. Bioavailable 25(OH)D levels were higher and T-scores of the spine and femur were lower in both group 2 and 3 than in group 1. T-scores of the femur in group 3 were lower than those in group 2. The linear regression analysis showed that levels of bioavailable 25(OH)D significantly correlated with the spine T-scores but not with the femur T-scores. The prevalence of spinal osteoporosis was higher in both groups 2 and 3 compared to group 1. Group 3 demonstrated greater femur osteoporosis compared to groups 1 and 2.Vitamin D plays an important role in spinal bone health. Moreover, working conditions are likely to play an important role in femur bone health. Therefore, appropriate working conditions and nutrition are paramount to improve bone health in postmenopausal women working in greenhouses.

Objective To investigate serum 25-hydroxyl vitamin D (25(OH)D) and vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP) concentrations in women with endometriosis according to the severity of disease. Methods Women with mild endometriosis (n = 9) and advanced endometriosis (n = 7), as well as healthy controls (n = 16), were enrolled in this observational study. Serum total 25(OH)D concentrations were analyzed using the Elecsys vitamin D total kit with the Cobas e602 module. Concentrations of bioavailable and free 25(OH)D were calculated. Concentrations of VDBP were measured using the Human Vitamin D BP Quantikine ELISA kit. Variables were tested for normality and homoscedasticity using the Shapiro-Wilk test and Leven F test, respectively. Correlation analysis was used to identify the variables related to total 25(OH)D and VDBP levels. To assess the effects of total 25(OH)D and VDBP levels in the three groups, multivariate generalized additive modeling (GAM) was performed. Results Gravidity and parity were significantly different across the three groups. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and CA-125 levels increased as a function of endometriosis severity, respectively (p= 0.051, p= 0.004). The correlation analysis showed that total 25(OH)D levels were positively correlated with gravidity (r = 0.59, p< 0.001) and parity (r = 0.51, p< 0.003). Multivariate GAM showed no significant relationship of total 25(OH)D levels with EMT severity after adjusting for gravidity and ESR. However, the coefficient of total 25(OH)D levels with gravidity was significant (1.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.12–3.63; p= 0.040). Conclusion These results indicate that vitamin D and VDBP levels were not associated with the severity of endometriosis.

Small bowel obstruction due to congenital adhesion bands is a very rare occurrence during pregnancy, but is associated with significant fetal and maternal mortality. A 24-year-old primigravida woman, without previous abdominal surgeries, was referred to the emergency department at 35 weeks of gestation with the complaint of sudden abdominal pain. Abdominal magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple loops of dilated small intestine and adhesion bands in the distal jejunum. The decision was made to proceed with a cesarean delivery and to explore the abdomen to determine the cause of the small bowel obstruction. A 2,680-gram male baby with a 7/9 Apgar score was delivered. A fibrotic band between the jejunal mesentery and distal jejunum caused the small bowel obstruction. After release of the adhesive band, the bowel regained its color and was viable. No adverse event developed in the mother or baby during a 1-year period. Although congenital bands are very rare in pregnant women, they can cause serious maternal and fetal mortality due to the delayed diagnosis and treatment, and physicians should be aware of this clinical condition.

Robust mass spectrometry-based methods for quantitative glycomics are almost invariable based on stable isotope labeling. These approaches represent a mature and yet evolving array of techniques that enable high-accuracy, high-speed, high-sensitivity, and high-throughput analysis of glycans from diverse biological matrices. The introduction of stable isotopes into biomolecules can be accomplished by three major ways, namely by metabolic, enzymatic, and chemical labeling of samples. Together, these approaches cover a wide variety of potential sample types, including purified glycans, cell and tissue samples, as well as clinical specimens. In this review, various aspects of isotope labeling strategies in comparative glycomics are discussed.

Common carp is a major aquaculture species. Frequent feeding in aquaculture species resulted in improved growth parameters and feed conversion rate. Overfeeding cause water quality deterioration, increase labor cost, increase feed cost, and reduce profit. We examine the effect of feeding frequency on growth, feed conversion rate, and body composition of juvenile common carp. Feeding frequencies of one, three, five, six, seven, and eight meals daily were given to juvenile common carp for 60 days. Fish grew from an initial body weight of 2.4 g up to 15.2 g (one meal daily), 37.5 g (three meals daily), 50.4 g (five meals daily), 53.6 g (six meals daily), 55.4 g (seven meals daily), and 51.1 g (eight meals daily). Significantly higher final weight was exhibited by fish in groups fed six meals and seven meals daily compared to groups fed three meals and one meal daily. Lipid content of the group fed one meal daily was the lowest. No significant difference in final weight, specific growth rate, feed intake and, feed conversion rate between group fed six and seven meals daily. Feeding six meals daily is the optimum feeding frequency for juvenile common carp.

Juvenile red seabream (mean body weight 29.0 g) were reared in recirculating culture systems with three different biofilter media, sand (SF), polystyrene microbeads (PF), and Kaldnes beads (KF). The efficiencies of the three different biofilter media were also tested. The SF was fluidized, and the PF and KF were trickled. All treatments were duplicated. The volumetric removal rates of total ammonia nitrogen by SF, PF, and KF were 193.8, 183.9, and 142.6 g m -3 day -1 , respectively, and those of nitrite nitrogen (NO 2 N) were 113.4, 105.9, and 85.8 g m -3 day -1 , respectively. The TAN and NO 2 -N removal rates of KF were lower than those of SF and PF (P 0.05). Among the biofilters used, only KF showed total suspended solid (TSS) removal capacity. The TSS removal efficiencies of SF and PF were negative. The growth rates of fish in SF were significantly higher than those in KF but not higher than those in PF. There was no difference in growth rate between fish in PF and KF. The specific growth rate and feed conversion efficiency of red seabreams in KF were lower than those in SF and PF, but there were no significant differences between SF and PF. These results indicate that sand and polystyrene microbeads are recommended for red seabream culture in a recirculating system.

Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) removal efficiencies of a sand filter (SF), polystyrene microbead filter (PF), and Kaldnes bead filter (KF) media were evaluated under ammonia loading rates of 5, 25, and 50 g m-3 day-1. The volume of each filter media tested was 7 L, and the water flow rate for all filter media was 24 L/min. The specific surface areas of the SF, PF, and KF were 7,836, 3,287, and 500 m2/m3, respectively. Sand was fluidized and the other two media were trickle filtered. The volumetric TAN removal rate increased with increasing ammonia loading rate for all filter media. Mean volumetric TAN removal rates under the ammonia loading rates of 5, 25, and 50 g m-3 day-1 in SF (39.3, 168.6, and 322.7 g m-3 day-1, respectively) were higher than those in PF (35.0, 157.4, and 310.5 g m-3 day-1, respectively) and KF (32.1, 142.5, and 288.1 g m-3 day-1, respectively). These results were related to differences in the specific surface areas of the filter media. PF was the most economic media for efficiently removing TAN. Key words: Recirculation system, Biofilter media, Nitrification, Freshwater, Ammonia removal

Thirty-one gross abnormalities that have been observed in tilapia are described: 10 fin, five eye, five jaw, four body shape, three head, two yolk sac, one operculum, and conjoined twins. Twenty-one have been described in published papers; the others were obtained from a survey. Breeding experiments revealed that three were heritable, while six were not heritable. Five could be caused by a bacterial infection, and one could be produced by a fungus. Four deformities were in offspring of males that had been injected with methyl methane sulphonate. Three were produced when sperm was treated with methyl methane sulphonate. Six were observed during sex reversal studies, and one was found following heat shock of fertilized eggs. Three were observed in polluted river water. The cause of other deformities is not known.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of temperature and stocking density on daily patterns and rates of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) excretion in juvenile red seabream Pagrus major (mean body weight: 29.0 g) under fasting and feeding conditions. Fish were acclimated over 7 days under four different temperatures (10, 15, 20, and 25℃) and at two different densities (5.5 and 11.0 ㎏ m?³). Each treatment had three replicates and a total of 216 fish were used. After 72 hours starvation, endogenous TAN excretion was measured for each temperature and density. To investigate exogenous TAN excretion, fish were handfed a commercial diet containing 51.6% crude protein twice a day for 7 days, at 08:00 and 16:00. Water was sampled from both inlets and outlets of chambers every 2 hours over a 24 hour period. Both endogenous and exogenous TAN excretion increased with increases in temperature and density (P

Waste products were biologically estimated from juvenile flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) on three diet types—raw fish-based moist pellets, moist pellets, and extruded pellets. Total solid and soluble wastes were estimated by determining nutrient digestibility and accumulation in juvenile flounders through growth trials. Total solid wastes produced were 20%-23% of the organic matter supplied. Soluble excretions ranged from 45% to 49%. Soluble nitrogenous excretions ranged from 36.4% to 46.2%. These results indicate that about 30.2%-35.9% of supplied feed is retained in the fishes’ bodies while the remainder of feed is excreted into culture systems or the surrounding environment. Key words: Waste products, Flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, Feed waste, Fecal solids, Nitrogenous excretion.

This study investigated oxygen consumption rate (OCR), coefficient and ammonia excretion rate of the greenling, Hexagrammos otakii Jordan et Starks with the average body weight of 250 g in a semi-recirculated respiratory measuring system. The experiment was done under three different water temperatures (10, 15, ) and five different ambient ammonia concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg/L). As the water temperature and ambient ammonia concentration increased the OCR has significantly increased (P and the relationship of water temperature (T) and ambient ammonia concentration (C) on the OCR were following: OCR

Nitrogen excreted by aquatic animals mainly takes the form of metabolic wastes such as feces and ammonia, which is accumulated in the intensive aquaculture system and causes serious environmental contamination. So it is very important to determine the waste excretion characteristics of aquatic animals for the development of practical and nonpolluting land-based aquaculture. Abalone has a unique feeding habit and feeding regime, different from those of finfish; abalone gnaw feed seaweed to produce feces and ammonia continuously. In this study, the rates of feces production and ammonia excretion of pacific abalone, Haliotis discus hannai, of three shell lengths (3, 5, and 7 cm) were investigated under three different temperature conditions (12, 16, and 20 C). All experiments were performed in triplicate in a semirecirculating aquaculture system. Feces were collected for 5 d, and ammonia concentrations (total ammonia nitrogen [TAN]) in the tank inlet and outlet were monitored every 4-h interval for 24 h at the fourth day of the feces collection. The regressions for the weight-specific feces production rate (g feces/kg abalone/d) and the weight-specific TAN excretion rate (mg TAN/kg abalone/d) in relation to water temperature (T, C) and shell length (L, cm) were weight-specific feces production rate = exp(1.575 − 281.2/T2 – 0.142L), r2 = 0.9550, and weight-specific TAN excretion rate = exp(5.052 − 277.1/T2 − 0.136L), r2 = 0.9598. Pacific abalone produced 108.3–111.7 g feces and excreted 3.83 g TAN/kg seaweed ingested (dry weight).

We estimated the digestibility and growth rate of juvenile olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) on three diets: raw fish-based moist pellets, moist pellets, and extruded pellets. The diets were created using commercially available methods, and a basic formulated powder. A reference diet was used to compare feed digestibility and the fish growth rate achieved using the experimental diets. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of protein for raw fish-based moist pellets and moist pellets were significantly higher (P0.05). These results indicate that the higher protein efficiency in fish fed with extruded pellets can result in good growth performance within flounder culture systems.

Compensatory growth, feeding rate, feed efficiency and chemical composition of juvenile black rockfish (mean weight 1.43 g) were investigated for 35 days after a 14-day feed deprivation treatment under four feeding conditions: one group continuously fed (control) and the other three groups fasted for 5 days (F5), 10 days (F10) and 14 days (F14). All fasted fish were re-fed from day 15. Only F5 achieved the same body weight as the control, indicating that complete compensation occurred in F5. The specific growth rate (SGR) of F5 was the highest at day 21 and then decreased thereafter, showing higher values than the control at days 21, 28 and 42. In contrast, although SGRs of F10 and F14 were higher than that of the control during the whole refeeding period except day 21, they did not catch up the control in body mass, indicating that only partial compensation occurred in F10 and F14. The feeding rate (FR) of all groups except F14 changed in a pattern similar to SGR (Spearman’s rank correlation, r s>0.9), suggesting that SGR varied depending on FR. Similar feeding efficiencies (FEs) were found in the four groups and they did not vary significantly during the whole refeeding period, suggesting that FE was not the factor affecting SGR. At day 14, the ratios of lipid to lean body mass in F10 and F14 were lower than those in the control and F5, and there was no difference between the control and F5. At day 49, however, only F14 showed a lower value than the other three groups, and there was no difference among the three groups. These results indicate that juvenile black rockfish fasted for 5–14 days can exhibit compensatory growth after refeeding, but timing and degree vary depending on the duration of feed deprivation.

We experimentally investigated effects of four concentrations (4, 6, 8, and 10%) each of dietary Spirulina and Chiorella, as well as four concentrations of dietary astaxanthin (40, 60, 80, and 100 ppm in Carophyll Pink), on the body color of red- and white-colored carp, Cyprinus carpio. The total carotenoid concentration in the skin tissue of the red parts of the carp fed dietary Spirulina, Chiorella, and astaxanthin increased up to the second week of the experiment but decreased thereafter. The redness value of the Spirulina-and Chiorella-treated fish decreased up to the sixth week of the experiment and increased thereafter. However, the redness value of the astaxanthin-treated fish consistently increased, beginning in the second week. Of the three agents tested, astaxanthin in Carophyll Pink was the most effective at enhancing the redness of both red- and white-colored carp. The redness value of the fish did not statistically differ among the various concentrations of astaxanthin. Therefore, dietary supplementation with 40ppm astaxanthin would be the most economical method for enhancing the redness of red- and white-colored carp fingerlings.

The growth rate of disk abalone, Haliotis discus hannai , energy consumption and changes in water quality were monitored in a pilot-scale recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for 155 days. Baffles were installed in the RAS culture tanks to enlarge the attachment area and clean out solid waste materials automatically by hydraulic force only. The experimental disk abalones, of shell length 24.5 ± 0.5 mm, were cultured at three stocking densities, 700, 1300 and 1910 individuals/m 2 bottom area, in triplicate. The abalones were fed with sea mustard, Undaria pinnatifida , once a week. The abalone feed conversion rates and daily growth rates ranged from 24.5 to 25.9 and 0.32 to 0.36%, respectively. Their daily shell increments and survival rates ranged from 67.7 to 78.6 μm/day and 87.6–92.2%, respectively. The growth in weight tended to decrease at a culture density of 1300 individuals/m 2 bottom area, while shell increments and survival rates were acceptable at this density. The total power consumption for heating was 1185.4 kW, comprising 30.2% of the total power consumption, while the average water exchange rate was only 2.9% per day. The total ammonia nitrogen stabilized below 0.07 mg/L, after conditioning of the biofilter. The NO 2 − –N, NO 3 − –N and total suspended solid concentrations were also maintained within acceptable ranges for the normal growth of disk abalone. The use of the RAS with these newly designed culture tanks for disk abalone culture produced 1300 individuals/m 2 bottom area with a water exchange rate of only 2.9% per day and used about one-tenth of the heat energy of a conventional flow-through system.

The study investigated the growth performance of abalone from juvenile to marketable size in a commercial-scale recirculating aquaculture system. The rearing system consisted of 12 raceways (4.0 × 0.8 × 0.6 m) with a protein skimmer and a submerged biofilter for juveniles and 10 raceways (6.6 × 1.3 × 0.6 m) with a protein skimmer and a trickling biofilter for on-growing. Sea mustard (Undaria pinnatifida) and kelp (Laminaria japonica) were fed to the abalone. The total weight of abalone in the recirculating aquaculture system at the juvenile stage increased from 22.0 kg (average shell length 24.5 mm) to 75.5 kg (average shell length 42.5 mm) after 180 days. Feed conversion ratios increased slightly from 13.7 for the first 90 days to 16.3 thereafter. The shell growth rate of juvenile abalone between 24.5 mm and 34.8 mm was 3.4 mm month−1, while for juveniles between 34.8 mm and 42.5 mm it was 2.6 mm month−1. The total weight of abalone in the recirculating aquaculture system for the on-growing stage increased from 100.0 kg (average shell length 44.0 mm) to 433.3 kg (average shell length 72.7 mm) after 570 days. The feed conversion ratios for the first 173 days, the next 320 days, and the last 570 days were 19.6, 22.1, and 24.8, respectively. The growth rate of the average shell length during the on-growing period was 1.5 mm month−1. Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentrations were stabilized below 0.12 mg l−1 in the juvenile recirculating system and 0.14 mg l−1 in the on-growing recirculating system after conditioning of the biofilters.

The olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus is one of the most commercially important fish species in Korea. In order to formulate better diets for cultured olive flounder we evaluated the optimum dietary protein requirements for larval, fry and juvenile olive flounder, and the optimum dietary protein to energy ratio for juvenile olive flounder. Results of four separate experiments suggested that the optimum dietary protein requirements were 60% in larvae (0.3 g), 46.4–51.2% in 4.1-g juvenile, and 40–44% in 13.3 g growing olive flounder. The optimum dietary protein to energy ratio based on weight gain, feed efficiency, specific growth rate, and protein retention efficiency was 27–28 mg protein/kJ 2 energy (35 and 45% CP for diets containing 12.5 and 16.7 kJ energylg diet, respectively).

To investigate the effect of live and dead probiotic cells on the non-specific immune system of tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, probiotics were introduced by feeding either in the form of live or dead cells, or supplying live cells to the rearing water in a closed recirculating system. The probiotics treatment enhanced non-specific immune parameters such as lysozyme activity, migration of neutrophils and plasma bactericidal activity, resulting in improvement of resistance to Edwardsiella tarda infection. Especially, oral administration of live cells seemed to be more effective compared with other probiotic treatments such as oral administration of dead probiotic cells and supply of live probiotic cells to the rearing water. These results indicate that probiotics treatment is promising as an alternative method to antibiotics for disease prevention in aquaculture, and the viability of probiotic bacteria is a key factor to induce more potential effect of probiotics used for fish production.

Effects of probiotics on growth, stress tolerance and non-specific immune response in Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus were evaluated in a closed recirculating system. Survival and growth of flounder treated by supplying commercial probiotics either in the diet (the probiotic diet group), or into the rearing water (the water supply group), were higher compared to the untreated group (the control group). Water quality parameters, pH, NH4−N, NO2−N and PO4−P showed lower concentration in the probiotic diet group compared with the control group and the supply group. Plasma lysozyme activity in the probiotic diet group and the water supply group was significantly higher (P

Recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) consists of different treatment compartments that maintain water quality within the ranges commonly recommended for fish cultures. However, common RASs still exert considerable environmental impact since concentrations of organic matter and nutrients in their effluents are high. Compared with the traditional RAS, the model RAS developed here use a sedimentation basin for digestion purposes and then use the released volatile organic matter to stimulate a denitrification process. Different treatment compartments for solids, total ammonia nitrogen, and nitrate removal have been reviewed. This paper provides the basic information on designing different treatment compartments as well as the engineering criteria in closed seawater RAS, consisting of circular tanks for fish cultures; dual drain systems, sedimentation basins and foam fractionators for removal of solids; nitrification biofilters for TAN removal; denitrification biofilters for nitrate removal; and aerators for aeration. The main purpose is to outline a common procedure in designing of closed RAS for marine fish culture with an emphasis on easy management and low expense, as well as reduction of the environmental impact.

Performance of a laboratory scale closed seawater recirculating aquaculture system was evaluated. Twenty-kg of korean rockfish (130 fish) with an average body weight of 153.8g was stocked. Over a 107-day culture period, fish reached final density of (initial density, ) on the basis of the culture tank volume. On a daily basis, added water amounted to 3.4% of the total water volume in the system. Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentrations were below 1mg/l and nitrite nitrogen concentrations were within the range of 1-3mg/l on most sampling days. TAN was removed from bead and sand filters and it was removed or produced in the sedimentation basin. Basically, was removed in the bead and sand filters, while it was either removed or produced in the sedimentation basin. Nitrate nitrogen was produced in the bead filters and removed from the sand filter and sedimentation basin. The foam fractionator performed well in the recirculating system. The maximal daily removal values for total suspended solids (755) and protein were 10.9g and 1.4g, respectively. Whole water quality parameters were within the levels commonly recommended for fish culture on most of the sampling days. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the commercial feasibility of this system because of the smallscale system used in present experiment. At least, the present study still provides some basic information for further studies of this kind of system.

Nitrification performance of fixed film biofilters using coarse sand, loess bead, or styrofoam beads in biofilter columns 1 meter high and 30cm in diameter were studied at different hydraulic and organic matter loading rates. Synthetic wastewater was supplied to the culture tank in order to maintain desired TAN concentrations in inlet water to biofilters. All the biofilters were conditioned 5 months before start of sampling. TAN and conversion rates increased with an increase in the hydraulic loading rate (HLR). However, the improvement in biofilter performance was not linearly correlated to HLR in styrofoam bead filters. This is mainly due to the characteristics of the styrofoam beads used. TAN conversion rates of sand filters increased with the increase of HLR up to . per day. No increase in the TAN conversion rate was observed at the highest HLR since flooding on the media surface took place. HLR had a significant impact on the TAN conversion rates in loess bead filter up to the highest HLR tested (P per day than those without the addition of organic matter in styrofoam bead filters. The addition of glucose resulted in a reduction of the TAN conversion rate from 540 to 284g per day. No significant difference of TAN conversion rates between the two organic matter loading rates was found (p. per day, a great reduction of TAN conversion rates was observed in sand filters and loess bead filters. Clearly, organic matter can be one of the most Important Impacting factors on nitrification. conversion rates showed a similar trend for TAN. Based on the TAN and nitrite conversion rates, styrofoam beads showed the best performance among the three filter media tested. Also, the low gravity and price of styrofoam beads make the handling easier and more cost-effective for commercial application. The results obtained at the highest organic matter loading rates can be used in the biofilter design in recirculating aquaculture system.

Effects of different operating factors including superficial air velocity (SAV), hydraulic residence time (HRT), protein concentration, and foam overflow height on protein removal by a foam fractionator in simulated seawater aquaculture system were investigated. This experiment was conducted on batch and consecutive modes at different combinations of the affecting factors. The foam fractionator had a diameter of 20cm and a height of 120cm and the experiment was conducted with synthetic wastewater. In 5 consecutive trials, protein concentrations in culture tank water decreased faster when the foam fractionator was operated at higher SAVs and lower HRTs. In batch trials, protein removal rates increased with an increase in SAV but decreased with an increase in URT. Higher protein concentrations in the bulk solution resulted in higher protein removal rates. Protein concentrations in the collected foam condensates increased but the foam overflow rates decreased with the increase of foam overflow heights. The results of this experiment indicate that foam fractionation would be an effective way for protein removal in seawater aquaculture systems and the performance of the foam fractionator depends largely on the operating parameters, especially SAV.

Two feeding trials (experiments 1 and 2) were conducted to determine the combined effect of dietary energy levels (low energy, LE and high energy, HE) and number of daily meals (one meal with the entire daily amount, two meals with half of the daily amount, and three meals with one-third of the daily amount) on the growth and body composition of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus in a recirculating system at different water temperatures, representing winter and summer seasons. In experiment 1 (winter), weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly (P 0.05) affected by either dietary energy levels or number of meals. However, protein retention was significantly (P 0.05) affected by either dietary energy levels or number of meals. However, visceral fat content was significantly (P 0.05) affected by either dietary energy levels or number of meals. Lipid content was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by dietary energy levels, but not by number of meals. Based on the results of these experiments, Nile tilapia should not be fed high-energy diets to improve fish performance even under a limited feed allowance during winter or summer. Fish grew rapidly when fed two daily meals during summer, but number of meals had no effect on fish performance during winter.

An 11-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary protein and/or energy levels on growth, feed efficiency and proximate composition of juvenile (average weight: 21.5 g) common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) fed various diets based on constant daily protein input. Five experimental diets were prepared. One group of diets (diets 1, 2 and 3) contained three crude protein (P) levels (35%, 40% and 45%) with a constant gross energy (GE) of 3.8 kcal g-1 diet. The second group of diets (diets 4 and 5) were formulated to contain a GE of 4.3 or 4.9 kcal g-1 diet and 40% or 45% protein levels, respectively, where GE/P was constant at 10.8 kcal g-1 protein. Fish receiving diet 1 served as the control; they were hand-fed to visual satiety. Feed allowance for diets 2 and 4 was 87.5% of the control. Feed allowance for fish receiving diets 3 and 5 was 77.8% of the control. Thus, all tanks received the same daily protein input. When gross energy in the diets was constant, 3.8 kcal g-1 diet, weight gain of fish fed diet 2 at 87.5% satiation was significantly higher than that of fish fed diet 3 at 77.8% of satiation. When the GE/P in the diets was constant, 10.8 kcal g-1 protein, weight gain of fish fed diet 1 was significantly higher than that of fish fed diet 5 at 77.8% satiation. The feed efficiency ratio (FER) for diets 2-5 was significantly higher than for diet 1 at constant GE and GE/P, and this improved linearly as dietary protein levels increased. The protein efficiency ratio (PER) for diet 2 was significantly higher than for diet 3 at constant GE. However, PER was not significantly different at constant GE/P. Protein retention of fish fed diet 2 was significantly higher than that of fish fed diet 3 at constant GE. Protein retention of fish linearly decreased at constant GE/P. The energy efficiency ratios (EER) for diets 2 and 3 were significantly higher than for diet 1 at constant GE. Moisture and protein contents of the whole body of fish were not significantly different at constant GE, but they decreased linearly at constant GE/P. The lipid content of fish fed diet 1 was significantly lower than that of fish fed diet 2 at constant GE, and body lipid content linearly increased at constant GE/P. These results indicate that growth and feed efficiency for common carp fed a 40% protein diet with 3.8 kcal g-1 diet GE at 87.5% satiation rate was superior to those for the fish fed either a 35% protein diet with 3.8 kcal g-1 diet GE at 100% satiation rate or a 45% protein diet with either a 3.8 or 4.9 kcal g-1 diet GE at 77.8% satiation rate.

SUMMARY: A stable homozygous line of transgenic mud loach (Misgurnus mizolepis) carrying a CAT reporter construct was developed. The founder transgenic mud loach was produced by microinjection of a CAT reporter gene driven by a carp beta-actin promoter and regulatory region (pFV4CAT) into fertilized eggs. The presumptive homozygous transgenic fish were generated by sister–brother mating between two heterozygous transgenic F2 siblings. Out of 28 transgenic individuals tested, five fish transferred the transgene into their progeny at a rate of 100%, four fish at 80–91%, and remaining 19 individuals inherited transgenic construct at a rate of approximately 50%. The level of expressed CAT enzyme in tissues (liver and spleen) from homozygous transgenic fish was higher than in those from heterozygous transgenic fish, although the increased amounts of CAT expression were slightly variable among homozygous individuals. The average level of CAT expression in homozygous fish was 1.8-fold (for liver) and 1.6-fold (for spleen), that of heterozygous fish.

Mud loach, Misgurnus mizolepis (Gunther), were sex reversed using the immersion technique. Fry were raised in water containing 50, 100 or 200 μg oestradiol-17β I−1 for 1, 2 or 3 weeks. Survival rates decreased as dose and duration of treatment increased: in most instances they were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of the controls. Growth rates were unaffected except for fish in the 200 μg I−1 treatments. The 200 μg T−1 treatments for 2 and 3 weeks produced monosex female populations. The 100 μg I−1 treatment for 3 weeks produced 99% females and 1% intersex individuals. Histologically, ovaries of sex-reversed fish were similar to those of normal females. Morphologically, however, they were different in that the ovaries of sex-reversed fish were not connected to the genital pore. The hormone treatments affected the size and morphology of the pectoral fins, which exhibit sexual dimorphism in mud loach.

Triploidy was induced in mud loach ( Misgurnus mizolepis ) by cold shocking fertilized eggs 5 min post-fertilization at 2°C for 15 to 60 min. Best results were obtained when eggs were shocked for 60 min; 98% of fish examined in that treatment were triploids. Triploidy was confirmed by erythrocyte measurements and chromosome counts. Diploids had 48 chromosomes, while triploids had 72. Histological analysis of 9-month-old triploid ovaries showed an appreciable number of oocytes at the chromatin nucleolus stage with considerable interstitial tissue. However, diploids had well developed oocytes. Diploid testes from diploid males exhibited normal spermatids and spermatozoa, while a few were seen in triploid males. Growth rate was evaluated over a 9-month growth trial. Although male and female triploids were slightly heavier than their diploid counterparts from the third to the ninth month, their growth rates were not significantly different compared to their diploid controls.