This study evaluated the ability of orange peel fragment (OPF) to act as a functional feedstuff, influencing growth, haematological profile, and antioxidant enzyme activity of Nile tilapia subjected heat/dissolved oxygen‐induced stress (HDOIS). A group of 440 male Nile tilapia (31.7 g ± 0.34) was randomly distributed in 40 250‐L aquaria (11 fish/tank) and fed five practical diets with graded levels of OPF at 0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, and 0.8% for 70 days. The diets were formulated to contain 30% crude protein and 18 MJ/kg crude energy. After the feeding period, growth performance was evaluated and six fish per treatment were sampled for haematological profile and antioxidant enzyme activity, before and after HDOIS. Then, fish were subjected to HDOIS (32°C/2.3 mg/L dissolved oxygen) for three days and the same haematological profile and antioxidant enzyme activity were determined. There was no effect of OPF on the haematological profile, either before or after HDOIS. The polynomial regression model was used to express the relationship between antioxidant enzymes activity and OPF supplementation level. The maximum activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase was reached at 0.66%, 0.63%, and 0.68% of OPF respectively. Results of the present study suggest that a dietary supplementation level of 0.63%–0.68% of orange peel fragment was appropriate to maintain Nile tilapia haematological profile and improve its antioxidant capacity under HDOIS.

After guided bone regeneration (GBR) with different devices, a layer of connective tissue called pseudo-periosteum can be observed above the newly formed bone. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical and histologic features and to suggest a classification of this connective tissue after GBR with nonresorbable membranes or titanium (Ti)-mesh plus resorbable membranes. Forty patients with partial edentulism in the posterior mandible were randomized into two groups: 20 patients were treated by means of Ti-reinforced dense polytetrafluoroethylene (d-PTFE) membrane (group A), while the other 20 patients were treated with Ti-mesh and a cross-linked collagen membrane (group B). After 9 months and during re-opening surgery, bone density and pseudo-periosteum type were recorded. Pseudo-periosteum was classified into Type 1 (no tissue or tissue < 1 mm); Type 2 (regular tissue between 1 and 2 mm); and Type 3 (irregular tissue or tissue > 2 mm). Histologic analyses were performed to identify the features of pseudo-periosteum. Out of 40 patients, 36 (n = 19 in Group A; n = 17 in Group B) with 99 implants were analyzed after GBR and according to the study protocol. The vertical bone gain was 4.2 ± 1.0 mm in Group A and 4.1 ± 1.0 mm in Group B. Group A had a higher bone density and greater amounts of type 1 periosteum than Group B (P = .01 for both). The preliminary results of this study show that both d-PTFE membranes and Ti-mesh plus collagen membranes are two valid options for bone augmentation in the mandible. However, nonresorbable membranes achieve higher bone density and a thinner pseudo-periosteum layer above the newly formed bone.

Long-term survival during dry storage or longevity is a pre-requisite to avoid deterioration, leading to loss of vigor. Longevity is routinely evaluated by the ability to germinate after storage. It increases progressively during seed maturation, after the acquisition of desiccation tolerance. However, the capacity to germinate represents only a part of the success of crop establishment. How seed maturation affects the resistance of several traits, as vigor, associated with seedling establishment, against deterioration was evaluated during seed filling and post-abscission phase of soybean BRS 284 seeds. Three new phenological stages between 7.1 and 7.2 (7.1.1, 7.1.2 and 7.1.3) were introduced to capture the rapid increase in seed longevity. Germination speed started to be affected at 7-14 days after storage depending on the stages. The delay on germination increased with maturation from 7.1.3 to dry mature seeds. The time to 50% loss of elongation capacity of both organs during storage was similar to that of loss of germination. Also, it increased steadily during seed maturation after mass maturity and harvest maturity stages, highlighting the importance of the late phase of seed maturation for building seed vigor.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential mineral for the development and maintenance of the vertebrate skeletal system. Modulation of P levels is believed to influence metabolism and the physiological responses of gene expression. In this study, we investigated the influence of dietary P on skeletal deformities and osteocalcin gene expression in zebrafish (Danio rerio), and sought to determine appropriate levels in a diet. We analyzed a total of 450 zebrafish within 31 days of hatching. Animals were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design that consisted of five replications. After an eight-week experiment, fish were diaphanized to evaluate cranial and spinal bone deformities. Increases in dietary phosphorus were inversely proportional to the occurrence of partial spine fusions, the absence of spine fusions, absence of parallelism between spines, intervertebral spacing, vertebral compression, scoliosis, lordosis, ankylosis, fin caudal insertion, and craniofacial deformities. Additionally, osteocalcin expression was inversely correlated to P levels, suggesting a physiological recovery response for bone mineralization deficiency. Our data showed that dietary P concentration was a critical factor in the occurrence of zebrafish skeletal abnormalities. We concluded that 1.55% P in the diet significantly reduces the appearance of skeletal deformities and favors adequate bone mineralization through the adjustment of osteocalcin expression.