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This study aims to evaluate the metabolic performance, in terms of specific rates of growth and feed assimilation, as well as the cost of growth and maintenance of black soldier fly larvae, BSF, Hermetia illucens on brewery waste, a potential worldwide available resource for industrial scale insect production. Brewery waste lacks starch and thus has a nutritional profile substantially different from chicken feed, which is a well-established and excellent starchy food source for BSF larvae. It is therefore interesting to gain insight into how BSF larvae perform on brewery waste. Larvae of the BSF were reared on chicken feed, on brewery waste and on mixtures of the two. Measurements of the weight of the larvae and their respiratory CO2 production were used to estimate metabolic performance on daily basis. The BSF larvae grew on all the substrates. They reached the highest weight on chicken feed, but their specific growth and feed assimilation rates were highest on the mixed substrates, in which the larvae also reached their maximal weight in the shortest time. Substrate-dependent costs of growth were not observed while maintenance rates tended to be only slightly lower on the mixed substrates. Overall, the BSF larvae converted the low-starch brewery waste and the starchy chicken feed into larval biomass about equally efficiently, although brewery waste led to smaller larvae and mixing of the two substrates enhanced feed assimilation and growth. Brewery waste seems thus a suitable resource for BSF larvae, comparable with chicken feed, with respect to their metabolic performance.

A new, energetically, and dynamically consistent closure for the lee wave drag on the large-scale circulation is developed and tested in idealized and realistic ocean model simulations. The closure is based on the radiative transfer equation for internal gravity waves, integrated over wavenumber space, and consists of two lee wave energy compartments for up- and downward propagating waves, which can be cointegrated in an ocean model. Mean parameters for vertical propagation, mean–flow interaction, and the vertical wave momentum flux are calculated assuming that the lee waves stay close to the spectral shape given by linear theory of their generation. Idealized model simulations demonstrate how lee waves are generated and interact with the mean flow and contribute to mixing, and document parameter sensitivities. A realistic eddy-permitting global model at 1/10° resolution coupled to the new closure yields a globally integrated energy flux of 0.27 TW into the lee wave field. The bottom lee wave stress on the mean flow can be locally as large as the surface wind stress and can reach into the surface layer. The interior energy transfers by the stress are directed from the mean flow to the waves, but this often reverses, for example, in the Southern Ocean in case of shear reversal close to the bottom. The global integral of the interior energy transfers from mean flow to waves is 0.14 TW, while 0.04 TW is driving the mean flow, but this share depends on parameter choices for nonlinear effects.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the larger arteries that may lead to cardiovascular events. Identification of patients at highest risk of cardiovascular events is challenging, but molecular imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) may prove useful. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare head-to-head three different PET tracers. Furthermore, tracer uptake is compared to gene expression alterations of the arterial vessel wall. Methods Male New Zealand White rabbits (control group; n=10, atherosclerotic group; n=11) were used for the study. Vessel wall uptake was assessed with the three different PET tracers: 2-[18F]FDG (inflammation), Na[18F]F (microcalcification), and [64Cu]Cu-DOTA-TATE (macrophages), using PET/Computed Tomography (CT). Tracer uptake was measured as standardized uptake value (SUV), and arteries from both groups were analyzed ex vivo by autoradiography, qPCR, histology, and immunohistochemistry. Results In rabbits, the atherosclerotic group showed significantly higher uptake of all three tracers compared to the control group 2-[18F]FDG: SUVmean 1.50 ± 0.11 vs. 1.23 ± 0.09, p = 0.025; Na[18F]F: SUVmean 1.54 ± 0.06 vs. 1.18 ± 0.10, p = 0.006; and [64Cu]Cu-DOTA-TATE: SUVmean 2.30 ± 0.27 vs. 1.65 ± 0.16; p = 0.047. Of the 102 genes analyzed, 52 were differentially expressed in the atherosclerotic group compared to the control group and several genes correlated with tracer uptake. Conclusion In conclusion, we demonstrated the diagnostic value of [64Cu]Cu-DOTA-TATE and Na[18F]F for identifying atherosclerosis in rabbits. The two PET tracers provided information that could not be obtained with 2-[18F]FDG.

Unrecognized organ hypoperfusion may cause major postoperative complications with detrimental effects for the patient. The use of Indocyanine Green (ICG) to detect organ hypoperfusion is emerging but the optimal methodology is still uncertain. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of real-time continuous quantitative perfusion assessment with Indocyanine Green (ICG) to monitor organ perfusion during minimally invasive surgery using a novel ICG dosing regimen and quantification software.In this experimental porcine study, twelve subjects were administered a priming dose of ICG, followed by a regimen of high-frequency (1 dose per minute), low-dose bolus injections with weight-adjusted (0.008 mg/kg) ICG allowing for continuous perfusion monitoring. In each pig, one randomly assigned organ of interest [stomach (n = 3), ascending colon (n = 3), rectum (n = 3) and spleen (n = 3)] was investigated with varying camera conditions. Video recording was performed with the 1588 AIM Stryker camera platform and subsequent quantitative analysis of the ICG signal were performed using a research version of a commercially available surgical real-time analysis software.Using a high-frequency, low-dose bolus ICG regimen, fluorescence visualization and quantification in abdominal organs were successful in the stomach (3/3), ascending colon (1/3), rectum (2/3), and the spleen (3/3). ICG accumulation in the tissue over time did not affect the quantification process. Considerable variation in fluorescence signal was observed between organs and between the same organ in different subjects. Of the different camera conditions investigated, the highest signal was achieved when the camera was placed 7.5 cm from the target organ.This proof-of-concept study finds that real-time continuous perfusion monitoring in different abdominal organs using ICG is feasible. However, the study also finds a large variation in fluorescence intensity between organs and between the same organ in different subjects while using a fixed weight-adjusted dosing regimen using the same camera setting and placement.

Substrate moisture content is an important but not well-understood variable in production and waste reduction processes that involves black soldier fly (BSF) larvae. The purpose of this paper is to characterise growth and metabolic performance of BSF larvae on substrate moisture contents from 45 to 85%. Larvae developed into prepupae only at 45–75% substrate moisture content. Within this interval, the maximal specific growth rate was highest (0.73 day−1), the growth period shortest (13 days), and the maximal dry weight lowest (88 mg) at 45% moisture content. Differences in cost of growth and maintenance were not observed at the different substrate moisture contents, and differences in larval performance were likely associated to differences in co-occurring microbial activities. As much as 22% of the substrate carbon was emitted as CO2 at 45% moisture content by microorganisms, measured as the difference between total respiration and larval respiration, whereas microbial CO2 production amounted to only 3% of the substrate carbon at 75% moisture content. As consequence of the high specific growth rate and short growth phase, the overall net growth efficiency was higher at 45% moisture content (0.62) than at 75% moisture content (0.52). Overall, the metabolic performance of the BSF larvae was insensitive to differences in substrate moisture content. Their performance was, however indirectly affected by the substrate moisture content due to differences in co-occurring microbial processes in the substrate.

The black soldier fly (BSF) is becoming a novel farm animal. BSF larvae can be reared on different substrates. Their performance is important but highly variable and different models have been employed to analyze their growth, so far without considering that metabolic rates, growth, and biochemical composition of the larvae are interrelated. This work develops a dynamic model, which describes general growth patterns of BSF larvae and predicts observed variability in larval performances. The model was tested against data from literature, which combines kinetic growth data with measurements of lipid or dry weight content, and CO2 production. The model combines the kinetics of the logistic model with principles from differential energy budget models and considers key events in larval life history, moulting and metamorphosis. Larvae are compartmentised into structural biomass, storage lipids, and a pool of assimilates. Feed assimilation is considered the overall rate limiting process and is reduced in relation to larval weight by a logistic function. A second logistic function further reduces the specific growth rate of structural biomass, causes imbalance between and feed assimilation and growth rates, and leaves a surplus of assimilates to be stored as lipids. Fluxes between compartments consider cost of synthesis of structural biomass and lipids, as well as maintenance. When assimilation falls below maintenance needs, storage lipids are recycled. The model is able to describe growth and lipid contents of BSF larvae reared on chicken feed, growth of feed limited BSF larvae, as well as growth, dry weight content, and CO2 production of BSF larvae reared on different substrate qualities and moisture contents. The model may be used for the analysis of growth and performance of BSF larvae under variable rearing conditions. It can deepen the analyses of experimental data and provide insight into the causes of variability of larval performances.

The main purpose of this study is to characterise how substrate lipid content affects growth kinetics of black soldier fly (BSF) larvae. Growth curves of larvae were characterised in substrates composed of chicken feed supplemented by 0-30% fish oil, and lipid content and fatty acid composition of the prepupae were quantified to examine up-take and assimilation of fish oil by the larvae. Increasing contents of fish oil resulted in reduced specific growth rates, reduced weight of the prepupae, and increased mortality. The prepupae had similar lipid contents at 0-20% fish oil, while 30% fish oil increased the lipid content of prepupae. In contrast, the fatty acid composition of the prepupae showed a strong dependency on substrate fish oil content, indicating that the larvae increased their uptake of fish oil with increasing fish oil content. C16-C22 fatty acids were bioaccumulated from the fish oil, but particularly C20 and C22 fatty acids were apparently also shortened or further metabolised. Microbial fermentation products rapidly accumulated in the substrates, and substrate lipids and carbohydrates were preserved and remained available for the larvae throughout their growth period. These results point out that although BSF larvae can utilise high contents of substrate lipids, it may be at the expense of reduced growth performance, and with limited effects on the composition of their biomass.

The liquid-based Carbo-gel technology enables real-time multimodal image guidance for improved therapeutic precision., Diagnostic imaging often outperforms the surgeon’s ability to identify small structures during therapeutic procedures. Smart soft tissue markers that translate the sensitivity of diagnostic imaging into optimal therapeutic intervention are therefore highly warranted. This paper presents a unique adaptable liquid soft tissue marker system based on functionalized carbohydrates (Carbo-gel). The liquid state of these markers allows for high-precision placement under image guidance using thin needles. Based on step-by-step modifications, the image features and mechanical properties of markers can be optimized to bridge diagnostic imaging and specific therapeutic interventions. The performance of Carbo-gel is demonstrated for markers that (i) have radiographic, magnetic resonance, and ultrasound visibility; (ii) are palpable and visible; and (iii) are localizable by near-infrared fluorescence and radio guidance. The study demonstrates encouraging proof of concept for the liquid marker system as a well-tolerated multimodal imaging marker that can improve image-guided radiotherapy and surgical interventions, including robotic surgery.

A key component in setting the large scale ocean circulation is the process of diapycnal mixing, since this can drive the meridional overturning circulation. Diapycnal mixing in the interior ocean is predominantly associated with the breaking of internal waves. Traditionally, diapycnal mixing has been represented in ocean models by a diapycnal diffusivity either constant or exponentially decreasing with depth. This approach, however, does not take into account the actual physics behind the breaking of internal waves. The energetically consistent internal wave model IDEMIX (Internal wave Dissipation, Energetics and MIXing), on the other hand, computes diffusivities directly on the basis of internal wave energetics. One such type of internal waves are lee waves. These are generated and subsequently dissipated when geostrophic currents interact with bottom topography and are therefore believed to be a source of energy for deep ocean mixing. In this study IDEMIX is coupled to a 1/12th degree regional model of the Atlantic. The lee wave energy flux is calculated and used as a bottom flux at each time step effectively allowing lee waves to propagate, interact with mean flow and waves, and subsequently dissipate. This setup enables not only an estimate of the lee wave energy flux but also a direct investigation of the influence of lee waves on dissipation, stratification and horizontal and overturning circulation.

We have measured growth and respiration in black soldier fly (BSF) larvae fed with mixtures of a low-quality substrate (degassed sludge, DS), and a high-quality substrate (chicken feed, CF) in order to elucidate how substrate quality affect larval metabolism and feed conversion into new biomass. The BSF larvae grew faster and became larger the higher the content of CF was in the substrate. Growth followed a sigmoidal curve from where the specific growth rate was determined and compared to measured specific respiration rates, in order to estimate costs of growth, maintenance metabolism, rates of feed assimilation, and net growth efficiency. Specific feed assimilation rates were similar on all substrate mixtures. Maximal specific growth rates were also affected only little unless the larvae were grown in pure DS. In contrast, the cost of growth and the maintenance metabolism were larger the higher the proportion of DS was. High specific growth rates were, in addition, sustained for shorter periods of the time the more DS was included in the substrate mixtures. In effect, higher proportions of the assimilated feed were spent on respiratory purposes instead of being converted into larval biomass and the net growth efficiency decreased the more DS was included in the substrate mixtures. We conclude that substrate quality may affect the conversion of feed into new biomass via alterations of the metabolic performance of BSF larvae and thereby the overall performance of BSF larval cultures.

A 7-year-old male intact border terrier (8.5 kg) was presented with a large, painless mass apical to the right maxillary incisors. Diagnostic imaging and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of periapical cyst due to a nonvital maxillary incisor. Extensive cysts are often multilocular and therefore difficult to debride without risk of iatrogenic damage. Complete resection can cause damage to adjacent structures and may compromise function. Due to the large size of the cyst, it was decided to perform staged treatment with extraction of the nonvital tooth and marsupialization. Following marsupialization, gradual bone regrowth caused size reduction. The stoma from the marsupialization was kept open for 8.5 months before the cyst was curetted and the wound closed. Complete obliteration of the cyst cavity was seen at short- and long-term follow-up examinations (7 and 24 months after curettage, respectively).

Although algae are often grown at pH values between 6 and 8, shifting to more alkali or acidic conditions may benefit CO 2 delivery to algal cultures. To assess the impact of culture pH on growth rate and uptake of CO 2, we grew three relatively fast growing acidophilic (Coccomyxa sp., Euglena mutabilis and Euglena gracilis) and three alkaliphilic (Thalassiosira pseudonana, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Chlamydomonas sp.) algal species at pH values near neutral and near the extreme of their growth range. All six species showed similar growth and CO 2 uptake ability at extreme as at neutral pH values. Cultures of the alkaliphilic species captured a higher proportion of CO 2 from the gas stream than the acidophilic species; removing 50 to 65% of CO 2 from air compared to only 38% removed by acidophilic species (or 10–24% from CO 2 enriched air). Alkaliphilic species did not become carbon limited when fed CO 2 at the concentration provided by air (0.04% CO 2), but produced less biomass and captured less total CO 2 (0.06 to 0.08 g CO 2 per day) than the acidophilic species (0.6–0.8 g CO 2 day −1) which required CO 2 enriched air to avoid carbon limitation. Bicarbonate feeding reduced the loss of CO 2 to the environment, compared to feeding gaseous CO 2, but with a potential cost in reduced specific growth rate or biomass production.

Coated activated charcoal haemoperfusion (CAC-HP) is a well-known treatment modality. Case reports have revealed conflicting results about the efficacy of CAC-HP in the treatment of amitriptyline (AT) poisoning, and no randomized clinical trials have been identified in the literature. This study aimed at quantifying the efficacy of modern CAC-HP as an adjunctive treatment of AT intoxication compared with standard care alone. Fourteen female Danish landrace pigs were randomized to either standard care or standard care plus 4 hr of CAC-HP. The pigs were anaesthetized, and vital parameters were continuously recorded. Amitriptyline infusion (7.5 mg/kg) was completed in 20 min. Thirty minutes after AT infusion, activated charcoal was instilled orally in both groups. In the intervention group, CAC-HP was initiated 60 min. after AT infusion. Blood and urine samples were collected as were vital parameters at specific time intervals. The protocol was approved by the Danish Experimental Animal Expectorate and complied with the NIH guide for care and use of laboratory animals. Data were managed according to the ARRIVE guidelines. No statistical significant differences between intervention and control groups were found when analysing for differences in AT levels in plasma at any time-point. Furthermore, significant differences between the control and intervention groups in regard to vital parameters could not be found either. In our animal model, the addition of CAC-HP did not improve the clearance of AT compared with standard treatment alone. We suggest that the effect of modern CAC-HP as a treatment modality in AT-poisoned human patients may be inadequate.

Speed has a financial significance, it is always a reason for investment. But still many innovations were abandoned because high speed doesn’t always mean success. Smartphone rapidly conquers the world. People managed their lives perfectly well before they were colonised by the smartphone. Yet life had a different rhythm then. Our social interaction doesn’t change much, but smartphone lets us run multiple processes at the same time. Smartphone compresses and destabilises time and space, but it also has a potential to expand space and make time more flexible. Smartphone makes consumption, communication and production more efficient. But it can also reduce the pace. Speed differs by country. Acceleration, fragmented time, and addiction to speed make stress. This is a problem in affluent classes in overheated countries. On the other hand, slowness and too many gaps are in least overheated regions. Contribution of the smartphone to the economy and overall speed is huge. But not everything accelerates: family organisation, religious values, cooking practices may not have changed at all. The fast rhythms required by the smartphone clashes with the slow rhythms in the natural and physical world. Life is polyrhythmic, and the smartphone can only synchronise a few slices of it.

Choanoflagellates are common members of planktonic communities. Some have complex life histories that involve transitions between multiple cell stages. We have grown the loricate choanoflagellate Diaphanoeca grandis on the bacterium Pantoea sp. and integrated kinetic observations at the culture level and at the single cell level. The life history of D. grandis includes a cell division cycle with a number of recognisable cell stages. Mature, loricate D. grandis were immobile and settled on the bottom substratum. Daughter cells were ejected from the lorica 30 min. after cell division, became motile and glided on the bottom substratum until they assembled a lorica. Single cell kinetics could explain overall growth kinetics in D. grandis cultures. The specific growth rate was 0.72 day−1 during exponential growth while mature D. grandis produced daughter cells at a rate of 0.9 day−1. Daughter cells took about 1.2 h to mature. D. grandis was able to abandon and replace its lorica, an event that delayed daughter cell formation by more than 2 days. The frequency of daughter cell formation varied considerably among individuals and single cell kinetics demonstrated an extensive degree of heterogeneity in D. grandis cultures, also when growth appeared to be balanced.

This study relates the lipid content of two marine filter-feeding demosponges, Halichondria panicea and H. bowerbanki to the seasonal availability of their suspended food, mainly free-living bacteria and phytoplankton at two study sites in Danish waters. The aim was to investigate if the lipid content of sponges is linked to food availability and season, and to what extend free-living bacteria are available in starvation periods where the phytoplankton biomass is low. The highest concentrations of bacteria were observed during summer when also chlorophyll a concentrations were high, and therefore bacteria and phytoplankton were available in similar ratio at all seasons. Bacterial cell carbon was estimated to contribute 2.9 and 4.6% compared to phytoplankton cell carbon in the food at the two sites, respectively, and free-living bacteria were available only as a minor food source at all seasons. Highest lipid contents (29.5% of sponge dry weight) were seen in H. panicea at the site with lowest food availability, while the lipid content of H. bowerbanki was 11.5% of dry weight. No seasonal variations in lipid content as fraction of sponge dry weight were observed, and the lipid content was not affected by food availability or starvation. It remains unclear why the lipid-content levels at the two study sites were conspicuously different.

Amitriptyline poisoning (AT) is a common poisoning, and AT possess the ability to promote life-threatening complications by its main action on the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. The pharmacokinetic properties might be altered at toxic levels compared to therapeutic levels. The effect of coated activated charcoal hemoperfusion (CAC-HP) on the accumulation of AT and its active metabolite nortriptyline (NT) in various tissues was studied in a non-blinded randomized controlled animal trial including 14 female Danish Land Race piglets. All piglets were poisoned with amitriptyline 7.5 mg/kg infused in 20 min, followed by orally instilled activated charcoal at 30 min after infusion cessation. The intervention group received 4 h of CAC-HP followed by a 1-h redistribution phase. At study cessation, the piglets were euthanized, and within 20 min, vitreous fluid, liver tissue, ventricle and septum of the heart, diaphragm and lipoic and brain tissues were collected. AT and NT tissue concentrations were quantified by UHPLC-MS/MS. A 4-h treatment with CAC-HP did not affect the tissue accumulation of AT in the selected organs when tested by Mann-Whitney U test (p values between 0.44 and 0.73). For NT concentrations, p values were between 0.13 and 1.00. Although not significant, an interesting finding was that data showed a tendency of increased tissue accumulation of AT and NT in the CAC-HP group compared with the control group. Coated activated charcoal hemoperfusion does not significantly alter the tissue concentration of AT and NT in the AT-poisoned piglet.

Coated activated charcoal haemoperfusion (CAC-HP) does not reduce the plasma concentration in amitriptyline (AT)-poisoned pigs. The aim of this non-blinded, randomized, controlled animal trial was to determine if CAC-HP reduces the pathological ECG changes caused by AT poisoning. Fourteen female Danish Landrace pigs (mean weight 27.7 kg, range 20-35 kg (CAC-HP) and 24.4 kg, range 18-30 kg (control group, CG), n = 7 in each group) were included. After randomization, the pigs were anaesthetized and intravenously poisoned with AT. The intervention group underwent 4 hr of CAC-HP plus standard care (oral activated charcoal). Intervention was compared to standard care alone. From each pig, a 12-lead ECG and haemodynamic variables were obtained at baseline, at full AT loading dose, before and during CAC-HP. Baseline ECG variables (RR, PR, QRS, QTc, QTp, QTe, TpTe and TpTe/QT) for lead II, v2 and v5 were not significantly different (F = 0.035-0.297, p-values 0.421-0.919). Differences within groups over time and between groups were tested by anova repeated measures. For all variables, the time-plus-group level of significance revealed a p-value > 0.05. Severe cardiovascular arrhythmias occurred in both groups with 3 in the CAC-HP group versus 1 incident with premature death in the CG. The attenuating effect of CAC-HP to orally instilled activated charcoal alone on AT-induced ECG alterations did not differ significantly. We conclude that the use of modern CAC-HP as an adjunctive treatment modality in AT-poisoned pigs is inadequate.

This paper presents an analysis methodology for establishing the demand stability of the planning environment faced by a company and the impact on the stability from changes to sales order. The methodology focuses on three critical planning parameters derived from customer orders: product mix, volume, and order sizes. Furthermore, the methodology links the delivery performance of a company to the changes made to sales orders. Based on a test case application of the methodology, it is concluded that by accepting changes, the demand faced by the case company has become more unstable on product mix, volume, and the number of order lines per period, while some added stability has been achieved with regards to the order size distributions. Ultimately, by applying the methodology to the case company, it is found that by changing the sales orders, the company does not improve the delivery performance.

We have investigated the kinetics of exopolysaccharide (EPS) synthesis in batch cultures of the cyanobacterium Microcystis flos-aquae. CO2 was titrated into the aeration gas to maintain constant pH and prevent CO2 limitation, and the incident light intensity was automatically optimised to prevent light limitation. Exponential and balanced growth was sustained for five to six cell generations until nitrate was depleted and cultures entered stationary phase. EPS was synthesised at a specific rate of 76 mg g−1 day−1 during the exponential growth phase and at a six times lower specific rate of 12 mg g−1 day−1 during stationary phase. EPS production was excellently described as a partly growth-associated product during both growth phases, although the carbohydrate monomer composition of EPS was modified during stationary phase. We therefore categorise EPS in M. flos-aquae as partly growth associated products.

Background The phycobiliprotein C-phycocyanin (C-PC) is used in cosmetics, diagnostics and foods and also as a nutraceutical or biopharmaceutical. It is produced in the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis grown phototrophically in open cultures. C-PC may alternatively be produced heterotrophically in the unicellular rhodophyte Galdieria sulphuraria at higher productivities and under improved hygienic standards if it can be purified as efficiently as C-PC from A. platensis. Results Ammonium sulfate fractionation, aqueous two-phase extraction, tangential flow ultrafiltration and anion exchange chromatography were evaluated with respect to the purification of C-PC from G. sulphuraria extracts. Galdieria sulphuraria C-PC showed similar properties to those described for cyanobacterial C-PC with respect to separation by all methodologies. The presence of micelles in G. sulphuraria extracts influenced the different procedures. Only chromatography was able to separate C-PC from a second phycobiliprotein, allophycocyanin. Conclusion C-PC from heterotrophic G. sulphuraria shows similar properties to cyanobacterial C-PC and can be purified to the same standards, despite initial C-PC concentrations being low and impurity concentrations high in G. sulphuraria extracts. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry

We have investigated changes in specific contents of protein, glycogen and lipid, and fatty acids of blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, under different conditions in the field and in laboratory feeding experiments using different microalgae. Specific contents of glycogen and lipid increased in mussels relocated to net bags at a location in Kerteminde Bay (Great Belt, Denmark) in contrast to mussels relocated to a location in Sallingsund (Limfjorden, Denmark). The polyunsaturated fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, reached 3 times higher values in the mussels in Kerteminde Bay. Mussels fed pure cultures of Crypthecodinium cohnii, which is rich in the polyunsaturated fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and glycogen, gained the highest specific contents of this fatty acid and glycogen. Mussels feeding on the most protein rich of the microalgae, Bracteacoccus sp., gained the highest protein contents. The specific glycogen content of the mussels was influenced by their “condition” (body dry weight/shell length ratio) while specific protein and lipid contents were not. Starvation affected mainly the specific glycogen content. These results show that biomass composition of blue mussels is affected by living site and local phytoplankton species and that the fatty acids composition of mussels reflects the content of fatty acids in the diet.

Aims: To characterize the secretion of proteolytic activities against keratin, collagen and elastin in liquid cultures of Bacillus cereus IZ-06b and IZ-06r isolated from wool. Methods and Results: Growth of B. cereus IZ-06b and IZ-06r were characterized in batch culture. Both strains needed an organic nitrogen source, were able to grow on wool or peptone as sole carbon and nitrogen sources, and metabolized glucose, maltose and other simple sugars. Proteolytic activities were investigated in batch cultures grown in peptide-restricted, carbon-sufficient medium. Secretion of proteases was induced by peptide limitation while different proteolytic activities appeared sequentially in the growth medium. When the most available components of the peptone were depleted, collagenolytic and elastolytic proteases were produced. These were later replaced by the production of keratinolytic protease. Conclusions: B. cereus can adjust its proteolytic affinity profile in response to the supply of organic nitrogen and sequentially secrete proteases with activities targeted against increasingly inaccessible proteinous substrates as the nutritional availability in the environment deteriorates. Significance and Impact of the Study: Peptide-limited, carbon-sufficient growth media containing no proteinous substrates are well suited for protease production in B. cereus while growth conditions can be adjusted to optimize the proteolytic affinity profiles.

Background: Minimal enteral nutrition (MEN) may induce a diet-dependent stimulation of gut adaptation following intestinal resection. Bovine colostrum is rich in growth factors, and we hypothesized that MEN with colostrum would stimulate intestinal adaptation, compared with formula, and would be well tolerated in patients with short bowel syndrome. Methods: In experiment 1, 3-day-old piglets with 50% distal small intestinal resection were fed parenteral nutrition (PN, n = 10) or PN plus MEN given as either colostrum (PN-COL, n = 5) or formula (PN-FORM, n = 9) for 7 days. Intestinal nutrient absorption and histomorphometry were performed. In experiment 2, tolerance and feasibility of colostrum supplementation were tested in a pilot study on 5 infants who had undergone intestinal resection, and they were compared with 5 resected infants who served as controls. Results: In experiment 1, relative wet-weight absorption and intestinal villus height were higher in PN-COL vs PN (53% vs 23% and 362 ± 13 vs 329 ± 7 µm, P

WOS: 000369546100043, The objective of this study was to characterize the nitrosation of the classical amino acids by N2O3. Nitrosation of amino acids results in the formation of mainly alpha-hydroxy-acids that are suitable for isocratic HPLC analysis and subsequent quantification of amino acids in biological samples. The method is particularly suitable for detection of amino acids in e.g. fermentation media as the alpha-hydroxy-acids can be quantified in parallel to a variety of other organic substrates and products. The amino acids were transformed into their corresponding alpha-hydroxy-acids in acidic KNO2 solutions. The reactions were terminated by NaOH addition and the alpha-hydroxy-acids separated by isocratic HPLC and quantified by refractive index or UV absorption detection. Nitrosation of 18 of the classical amino acids; glycine, L-alanine, L-valine, L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-methionine, L-serine, L-threonine, L-asparagine, L-glutamine, L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid, L-proline, L-cysteine, L-phenylalanine, L-lysine, L-tyrosine, and L-tryptophane formed detectable nitrosation products. L-Lysine, however, needed incubation in 96 mM formic acid to produce a detectable product, while L-phenylalanine had to be incubated in 120 mM HNO3 and 100 mM HCl. Optimal reaction conditions for most amino acids included 40 min of incubation of up to 5 g L-1 amino acid in 160 mM KNO2 in 100 mM HCl at 45 degrees C to maximize product yields.

Three pigments, β-carotene, astaxanthin and phycocyanin are presently well-established microalgal products, produced at large-scale in cultures of microalgae or cyanobacteria and used as natural colours in feed and foods and as nutritional additives. Applied research in these 3 pigments is, however, still developing rapidly; particularly in their effects on human health. This commentary provides a brief overview on the main functional effects of β- carotene, astaxanthin and phycocyanin and presents an analysis of the current trends in research activities in relation to their used in feed, foods and health.

Production of biomass and phycocyanin (PC) were investigated in highly pigmented variants of the unicellular rhodophyte Galdieria sulphuraria, which maintained high specific pigment concentrations when grown heterotrophically in darkness. The parental culture, G. sulphuraria 074G was grown on solidified growth media, and intensely coloured colonies were isolated and grown in high-cell-density fed-batch and continuous-flow cultures. These cultures contained 80-110 g L(-1) biomass and 1.4-2.9 g L(-1) PC. The volumetric PC production rates were 0.5-0.9 g L(-1) day(-1). The PC production rates were 11-21 times higher than previously reported for heterotrophic G. sulphuraria 074G grown on glucose and 20-287 times higher than found in phototrophic cultures of Spirulina platensis, the organism presently used for commercial production of PC.

In this paper we describe the production of acid phosphatase (ACP) by Fusarium venenatum A3/5 in phosphate-limited continuous flow culture at different phosphate concentrations, specific growth rates, and pH values. ACP production in F. venenatum was repressed by phosphate, and was only fully de-repressed at phosphate concentrations below 0.02 mM in the culture. The ACP was active from pH 2 to 7, and the activity could be attributed to one or possibly two isozymes, the one showing a strong activity maximum at pH 6, and the second showing a weaker activity maximum at pH 3. The specific ACP productivity was highest at dilution rates below D = 0.06 h −1 . ACP production was also influenced by pH, which showed two, clearly separated production maxima at culture pH 3.3 and 5.8.

The objective of this review is to evaluate the existing literature with regard to the influence of propofol and remifentanil total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) on cerebral perfusion and oxygenation in healthy pigs. Anaesthesia has influence on cerebral haemodynamics and it is important not only in human but also in veterinary anaesthesia to preserve optimal regulation of cerebral haemodynamics. Propofol and remifentanil are widely used in neuroanaesthesia and are increasingly used in experimental animal studies. In translational models, the pig has advantages compared to small laboratory animals because of brain anatomy, metabolism, neurophysiological maturation, and cerebral haemodynamics. However, reported effects of propofol and remifentanil on cerebral perfusion and oxygenation in pigs have not been reviewed. An electronic search identified 99 articles in English. Title and abstract screening selected 29 articles for full-text evaluation of which 19 were excluded with reasons. Of the 10 peer-reviewed articles included for review, only three had propofol or remifentanil anaesthesia as the primary study objective and only two directly investigated the effect of anaesthesia on cerebral perfusion and oxygenation (CPO). The evidence evaluated in this systematic review is limited, not focused on propofol and remifentanil and possibly influenced by factors of potential importance for CPO assessment. In one study of healthy pigs, CPO measures were within normal ranges following propofol-remifentanil anaesthesia, and addition of a single remifentanil bolus did not affect regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2). Even though the pool of evidence suggests that propofol and remifentanil alone or in combination have limited effects on CPO in healthy pigs, confirmative evidence is lacking.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a major acute phase protein showing increasing serum concentrations in dogs with systemic inflammation following e.g., surgery, trauma, infections, or neoplasia. CRP is a useful diagnostic marker of systemic inflammation in dogs and automated assays have been validated for reliable measurements for routine diagnostic purposes. In the present study available evidence for the use of CRP as a marker of surgery related systemic inflammation in dogs was reviewed and assessed. Two main themes were in focus: (1) canine CRP as a potential marker of postsurgical infectious complications and (2) canine CRP as a marker of the degree of surgical trauma. As outlined in the review several studies suggest that CRP is a useful marker for both purposes. However, the evidence level is limited and studies in the field are all affected by considerable risks of bias. Thus, further studies are needed in order to confirm the assumptions from previous studies and increase the level of evidence for CRP as a useful marker for detecting inflammation after surgery in dogs.

Practical and ethical considerations have led to an increased use of artificial substitutes for live animals in veterinary surgical skills training. However, commercially produced models are expensive and homemade models often require full-time staff to produce enough models for training large groups of students. In the Department of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences of the University of Copenhagen, a low-cost build-it-yourself model, the SimSpay, was developed for novice training of surgical skills in canine ovariohysterectomy. The model did not require the use of trained technical staff or costly, hard-to-source supplies. The SimSpay was developed and implemented in the clinical veterinary curriculum in 2013. In 2014, 54 students participated in a questionnaire study to investigate their perception of the usefulness of the SimSpay as a learning tool. On a five-point Likert-type scale, students were asked to rate their perceived levels of competence, confidence, and anatomic knowledge before and after SimSpay training. Results demonstrate a strongly significant (p

The production of acid phosphatases (E.C.3.1.3.2, ACPs) by Aspergillus niger N402A is regulated by specific growth rate, as well as phosphate availability and pH, as demonstrated by studies in continuous flow culture. Specific ACP activity was highest when A. niger was grown at pH 6.3 (64±8 U g−1) or pH 2.8 (99±11 U g−1), at a dilution rate of 0.07 h−1 and phosphate concentrations below 0.46 mM. ACP production was growth correlated for specific growth rates between 0.07 and 0.13 h−1. Four different ACPs, including two phytases, were produced by A. niger N402A. The ACP and the phytase with maximal activities at pH 5.5 were differentially expressed at different culture pH values, with greater production at low pH.

Growth and phycocyanin production in batch and fed-batch cultures of the microalga Galdieria sulphuraria 074G, which was grown heterotrophically in darkness on glucose, fructose, sucrose, and sugar beet molasses, was investigated. In batch cultures, specific growth rates and yields of biomass dry weight on the pure sugars were 1.08-1.15 day-1 and 0.48-0.50 g g-1, respectively. They were slightly higher when molasses was the carbon source. Cellular phycocyanin contents during the exponential growth phase were 3-4 mg g-1 in dry weight. G. sulphuraria was able to tolerate concentrations of glucose and fructose of up to 166 g L-1 (0.9 M) and an ammonium sulfate concentration of 22 g L-1 (0.17 M) without negative effects on the specific growth rate. When the total concentration of dissolved substances in the growth medium exceeded 1-2 M, growth was completely inhibited. In carbon-limited fed-batch cultures, biomass dry weight concentrations of 80-120 g L-1 were obtained while phycocyanin accumulated to concentrations between 250 and 400 mg L-1. These results demonstrate that G. sulphuraria is well suited for growth in heterotrophic cultures at very high cell densities, and that such cultures produce significant amounts of phycocyanin. Furthermore, the productivity of phycocyanin in the heterotrophic fed-batch cultures of G. sulphuraria was higher than is attained in outdoor cultures of Spirulina platensis, where phycocyanin is presently obtained.

A novel principle for mixing and aeration in stirred bioreactors, named Variomixing, was developed. Four baffles are rotated intermittently at a rotational speed slower or similar to the speed of a centrally placed axial flow impeller. Rotational speeds of the baffles and impeller of 5-10 and 500-600 rpm, respectively, results in the highly turbulent flow regime characteristic of conventional bioreactors with high mixing and mass transfer capacities. Stagnant zones around crevices and crannies in which wall growth may commence are avoided since the baffles are never completely at rest. Increasing the rotational speed of the baffles (5 s every 5 min), so that it follows the speed of the impeller (500-600 rpm), cancels the effect of the baffles and a deep vortex and high peripheral liquid flow rates at the reactor wall develop. The vortex ensures that also the head-space of the reactor wall is flushed and any deposits removed. The filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae has been grown in batch cultures in the Variomixing bioreactor. Compared to conventional laboratory-scale bioreactors, in which more than 30% of all biomass was found attached to walls, less than 2% of the total A. oryzae biomass was found on the walls in the Variomixing bioreactor.

Recent research emphasis on the ecology of Pfiesteria spp. (Dinophyceae) has led to recognition of several morphologically similar heterotrophic dinoflagellates that often co-occur with Pfiesteria spp. in estuaries along the United States Atlantic coast. These include cryptoperidiniopsoid dinoflagellates, which resemble Pfiesteria spp. in having complex life cycles that include zoospores capable of kleptoplastidy. To examine and compare the role of kleptoplastidy in Cryptoperidiniopsis sp. and Pfiesteria piscicida , we tested the effects of irradiance on growth under prey-saturated ( Storeatula major , Cryptophyceae) conditions. Growth of Cryptoperidiniopsis was strongly influenced by light intensity while no major effects were observed in P. piscicida . In Cryptoperidiniopsis , highest cell numbers and specific growth rates, but lowest specific cryptophyte consumption rates, were found at the highest light intensity tested (100 μmol photons m −2 s −1 ). A growth model was developed and used to estimate that the average half-life of chloroplasts ingested by Cryptoperidiniopsis decreased 3.4-fold from 12.6 h at high light to 3.7 h in the dark. These results show that light strongly enhances specific growth rate and growth efficiency of Cryptoperidiniopsis feeding on cryptophytes, and suggest that retained kleptochloroplasts may play a quantitatively significant role in carbon and energy metabolism of this organism. Differences in the effects of light between Cryptoperidiniopsis and P. piscicida may reflect different nutritional strategies, and allow these closely related dinoflagellates to occupy different niches and co-exist.

In many nearshore marine systems, microalgae can be chronically exposed to anthro- pogenic and biogenic phenolic and halophenolic compounds that accumulate in surficial sediments. Although biodegradation of some phenolic compounds has been demonstrated in freshwater algae, this capability has not been tested in marine species. We examined a ubiquitous marine diatom, Thalassiosira sp. HP9101, for its capacity to tolerate, and/or utilize phenol and benzoic acid. We also examined the aromatic ring cleavage reactions of this diatom and its capacity to dechlorinate chlorophenolic compounds. Axenic Thalassiosira sp. cultures were grown at 60 µE m -2 s -1 (12:12 h light:dark cycle) in the presence or absence of phenol, benzoate, catechol or protocatechuate and their growth kinetics and physiological responses determined. Thalassiosira sp. was inhibited by catechol and protocatechuate. Growth in the presence of 1 mM phenol was observed only after an extended lag and was quite slow. Growth in the presence of 0.25 mM phenol occurred after a much shorter lag and phenol was taken up by these cultures at an estimated rate of 0.08 fmol phenol cell -1 h -1 . No inhibition of Thalassiosira sp. by 1 mM benzoate was observed. Growth stimulation by added phenolic substrates was not demonstrated, although phenol-supplemented Thalassiosira sp. pro- duced substantial levels of protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase and protocatechuate 4,5-dioxygenase, the ortho- and meta-pathway aromatic ring cleavage enzymes, respectively. Only protocatechuate 4,5-dioxygenase activity was detected in Thalassiosira sp. grown with 1 mM benzoate. Phenol supplemented Thalassiosira sp. was also capable of dechlorinating monochlorophenols, 3,5-di- chlorophenol, and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol. These reactions were NADH-dependent and were not observed in control cultures grown without phenol.

Oral dosing by gavage is often used to test compounds in minipigs. This method is also used for certain nutritional studies that require exact dosing. This procedure may be stressful for the animal and requires the assistance of more than one technician. We investigated whether a gastrostomy tube could be placed and maintained in Göttingen minipigs using a single port laparoscopic technique. As part of another study, laparoscopic gastrostomy tube placement was performed in 12 Göttingen minipigs (32 ± 2 kg) under general anesthesia. The procedure involved single port laparoscopic visualization of the stomach and placement of a locking pigtail catheter into the fundus region of the stomach. The minipigs were followed for three weeks after surgery and macroscopic and microscopic tissue reactions were evaluated at necropsy. All catheters were successfully placed and were easy to use. At necropsy it was evident that the catheter had entered the stomach in the fundus region in 11/12 of the animals. In one animal the catheter had entered the antrum region. None of the animals developed leakage or clinically detectable reactions to the gastrostomy tube. Histopathologically, only discrete changes were observed. Single port laparoscopic tube gastrostomy with a locking pigtail catheter is safe, simple and reliable and is an appropriate alternative to, for example, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, when long-term enteral delivery of pharmacological or nutritional compounds is needed. The use of the gastrostomy tube was easy and, based on subjective assessment, feeding was minimally stressful to the animals.

Objective—To compare repeatability and equivalency of measures of femoral trochlea depth and trochlear angle in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) determined by use of radiography, ultrasonography, and digital photography of cadaver limbs. Sample—24 pelvic limbs from 12 red fox cadavers. Procedures—Cranioproximal-craniodistal oblique (skyline) and lateromedial radiographic views of the stifle joint and ultrasonographic images at 5 locations along the femoral trochlea were used in the study. Spacing of the 5 locations was determined on the basis of patellar position with the stifle joint at various caudal angles ranging from 96° to maximal extension (approx 170°). Ultrasonographic measurements were compared with those obtained at matched locations on photographs of anatomic preparations. Trochlear depth was assessed with all 3 image formats, and trochlear angle (measured between the trochlear ridges and sulcus) was assessed on radiographs and ultrasonographic images. Patellar thickness was measured on radiographs. Values obtained were compared by means of ANOVA, modified Bland-Altman plots, and repeatability testing. Results—Depth measurement repeatability was considered good for all modalities. Small but significant differences between mean ultrasonographic trochlear depth and anatomic (photographic) measurements were found at 3 locations; 95% limits of agreement for paired anatomic and ultrasonographic measurements were wide. The ratio of trochlear depth to radiographic patellar thickness was approximately 30% for all modalities. Trochlear angle measurements were more variable than trochlear depth measurements, especially in the distal aspect of the trochlea. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Paired anatomic and ultrasonographic measurements did not appear equivalent in this study, possibly attributable to imprecise probe location, which could limit quantitative use of ultrasonography in assessing proximal trochlear depth in a clinical setting.