Modelling the Phenological Relationships of Questing Immature Ixodes Ricinus (Ixodidae) Using Temperature and NDVI Data

All active stages of the tick Ixodes ricinus were collected monthly at two sites in northern Spain between the years 2000 and 2007. We used percentile accumulation of the active stage in the environment to evaluate simple and coherent correlations between accumulation of the active stages of larvae and nymphs and medium‐resolution MODIS satellite‐derived information on the climate, including monthly and accumulated temperature and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). This framework is not intended to predict the actual abundance of ticks in the field as a measure of the hazard to humans, but to provide a basic structure for addressing the phenology of the tick in its geographic range. We demonstrated that the accumulation of larval ticks in the active stage is a sigmoid function of the accumulated temperature from the beginning of the calendar year. We also demonstrated that the accumulated temperature necessary to recruit nymphs from the questing larval stage is a function of the changes in accumulated larvae and nymphs and the accumulated temperature and NDVI recorded by the Aqua sensor. The low p‐values obtained in the regressions confirmed that such recruitment can be calculated using time intervals to estimate, for example, the beginning of the questing period or the time of the year when a population peak can be expected. The comparison among predicted and actual accumulated temperatures between larvae and nymph recruitment had an averaged error of ±20 days in one complete year. The use of accumulated temperature and NDVI proposed in this study opens up the re‐evaluation of reports on the phenology of the tick in Europe. This framework is intended to evaluate the same correlations along the tick's range and predict its phenological patterns in areas of pathogen transmission risk for humans.     

Evaluation of a fluorescence-polarization assay for the diagnosis of bovine brucellosis in México.

A homogeneous fluorescence-polarization assay (FPA) was used for the serological diagnosis of bovine brucellosis in México. The assay uses O-polysaccharide prepared from Brucella abortus lipoplysaccharide (20-30 kDa) conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate as a tracer. To measure the fluorescence polarization, a FPM-1 fluorescence-polarization analyzer was used with the procedure described by Nielsen et al. (1996b). A cut-off value of 90 millipolarization (mP) units was used for testing 560 bovine sera from different areas of México. (305 positive sera and 255 negative sera according to the complement fixation test; CFT.) Some were tested with the Rose Bengal plate (RB) test (n = 490) and some with the rivanol-agglutination (RIV) test (n = 190). Sensitivities were 98.3%, 99.3% and 99.0%, and specificities were 68.8%, 55.4% and 96.9%, respectively, for RB, RIV and FPA. The FPA gave a kappa coefficient of agreement with respect to CFT of 0.96, while RB and RIV (relative to the CFT) gave coefficients of 0.70 and 0.61, respectively. Finally, ROC analysis suggested a cut-off value which agreed with the one recommended in the test procedure. We concluded that FPA is a suitable test to be used instead of the CFT in Mexican conditions.     

Antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation in Artemia nauplii enriched with DHA‐rich oil emulsion and the effect of adding an external antioxidant based on hydroxytyrosol

Artemia nauplii catabolize polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA); in particular, they retroconvert docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n‐3), so enrichment is a continuous quest towards increasing PUFA through the use of PUFA‐rich enrichment products. However, optimal conditions during enrichment (aeration, illumination and temperatures around 28°C) tend to accelerate autoxidation of PUFA and the formation of potentially toxic oxidation products. Water‐soluble antioxidants like the polyphenolic compound hydroxytyrosol (3,4‐dihydroxyphenylethanol), a polar molecule found in the water fraction resulting after the milling process of olives, arise as promising compounds to prevent oxidation during Artemia enrichments. We investigated the antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation in Artemia nauplii during enrichment and the effect of adding an external antioxidant based on hydroxytyrosol during the enrichment with a PUFA‐rich emulsion (M70). For this purpose, the activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione‐S‐transferase, glutathione peroxidase), as well as lipid peroxidation, was determined in enriched and unenriched Artemia nauplii. To validate antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation, in a first experiment, nauplii were enriched with microalgae (Tetraselmis suecica), yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and M70 emulsion. In a second experiment, enrichment with a commercial emulsion (DC Super Selco), M70, and a combination of M70 and hydroxytyrosol (Hytolive, HYT) added as an external antioxidant were performed. The combination of M70 with HYT produced the best results, in terms of activity of antioxidant enzymes. The analysis of the fatty acids from total lipids showed that the addition of hydroxytyrosol preserved the DHA percentage of enriched nauplii.     

Potential bioavailability of protein and lipids in feed ingredients for the three‐spot cichlid Amphilophus trimaculatus: An in vitro assessment

For the commercial culture of the three‐spot cichlid (Amphilophus trimaculatus), it is important to have available a set of protein and lipid ingredients suitable for feed manufacturing, which allow to optimize the culture at affordable costs. The in vitro digestibility was evaluated with pH‐stat technique, using stomach and intestine multi‐enzymatic extracts from A. trimaculatus juveniles. The digestion of protein ingredients was taken place both in acid and in alkaline conditions, quantifying the total of free amino acids at the end of the hydrolysis, whereas the digestion of lipid ingredients was taken place only in alkaline conditions. The digestive enzymes of this species showed a better affinity to raw materials of animal origin such as beef meal, fish meal and premium chicken meal, which presented better digestibility. The best lipid ingredient that could be used is the fish oil. However, it is possible to use ingredients from the plant sources, such as soy or cereals, and vegetable oils such as olive, corn or soy oil. It is necessary to complement this study in vitro with the digestibility analysis in vivo, in order to determine the inclusion percentages in feeds and costs and therefore to develop an efficient feed formulation for the aquaculture of A. trimaculatus.     

Assessment of dietary lipid sources in tropical gar,Atractosteus tropicus larvae: Growth parameters and intermediary lipogenic gene expression

Five experimental diets containing different lipid sources, fish oil (D1), soybean lecithin (D2), corn oil (D3), canola oil (D4) and olive oil (D5), were evaluated in Atractosteus tropicus larvae for the relative gene expression of the enzymes fatty acid synthase (fas), acetyl‐CoA carboxylase 1 (acc1) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1C (cpt1c), in addition to their effects on larval growth, survival and cannibalism during a 30‐day feeding trial. Higher growth and survival were obtained in treatments D1 and D2, and lower performance in diets D3, D4 and D5. The highest levels of expression of fas and acc1 occurred in larvae fed with D1, which contained high amounts of n‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC‐PUFA), mainly DHA and EPA FA are regulators of lipogenesis. The higher cpt1c expression in plant‐based diets is attributed to the fact that these diets are rich in α‐linolenic acid (ALA) and low DHA, EPA and ARA levels that favour ß‐oxidation. In conclusion, the diets with fish oil (D1) and soybean lecithin (D2) were the best treatments for larval growth, survival and cannibalism and thus appear to meet both lipid and energy requirements of A. tropicus larvae, meanwhile the use of vegetable oils influences the expression of intermediary lipogenic genes.     

Maguey (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agave salmiana</Emphasis>) infructescence morphology and its relationship to yield components

Agaves are long-lived semelparous plants that produce a high number of seeds, in dehiscent capsules, on the apical section of a stalk, up to 5 m long, after 8–25 years. These and other characteristics such as yield and yield components are scarcely evaluated in the plants of the Agave genus. The objective of this study was to quantify the capsules and seeds yield of A. salmiana Otto ex Salm-Dyck plants simultaneously maturing and growing in the same region. Infructescences of three plants simultaneously growing at San Luis Potosí, Mexico, were harvested. On them we evaluated the number of umbels, capsules and seeds (normal and sterile) and their mass per plant. The study was developed on a completely randomized design with each infructescence as an experimental unit. Also, the type distribution of the number and mass of these yield components along the stalk was evaluated with the Chi square test for goodness of fit, the Shapiro–Wilks for normality tests, asymmetry and kurtosis. Data were analyzed with the ANOVA and multiple comparisons by the Tukey test (p?≤?0.05). The number of umbels per plant (17–25), capsule per umbel (2–179) and per plant (554–1990), normal seed per capsule (0–297), normal seeds per plant (30,610–186,209) and sterile seeds per plant (211,059–619,251) widely and significantly varied among infructescences. Biomass of capsules per plant umbel (3–795 g), biomass of sterile and normal seeds per capsule (0.071–1.449 and 0–3.320 g), per umbel (0.34–97.76 and 0.21–185.26 g) and per plant (182–1052 and 334–2069 g) also varied widely. Seed yield was statistically different between plants simultaneously growing and maturing at the same site.     

Microalgal paste production of the diatom <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chaetoceros calcitrans</Emphasis> using electrolytic flocculation method at optimum culture conditions

The optimum culture conditions of the local strain Chaetoceros calcitrans were determined to improve biomass and reduce cost of production. Under outdoor culture conditions, higher cell density was attained when the cultures were enriched with Tungkang Marine Research Laboratory (TMRL) medium composed of cheap technical grade reagents and cultured at 25 g L^?1 salinity. The cultures were lighted with two 40 W cool-white GE fluorescent tubes (24–35 μmol photon m^?2 s^?1). Using semi-continuous culture system under established optimum culture conditions, C. calcitrans can be re-cultured thrice and concentrated at each culture cycle using electrolytic flocculation method to produce 4.6 kg m^?3 of diatom paste. The viability of concentrated C. calcitrans after 3 months of storage was comparable to live diatom cells. Simple preservation technique by low-temperature storage is convenient for storing algal concentrates for use as starter cultures and for feeding invertebrates. The paste costs USD 8.24 kg^?1 inclusive of the assets and flocculation materials for culturing and harvesting the diatom, respectively. This study established the suitable conditions for mass culture of C. calcitrans and produced concentrated diatoms in paste form that is readily available for aquaculture hatcheries at a lower cost.     

Use of thraustochytrid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Schizochytrium</Emphasis> sp. as source of lipid and fatty acid in a formulated diet for abalone <Emphasis Type="Italic">Haliotis asinina</Emphasis> (Linnaeus) juveniles

The effects of using thraustochytrid Schizochytrium sp. as source of lipid and fatty acids in a formulated diet on growth, survival, body composition, and salinity tolerance of juvenile donkey’s ear abalone, Haliotis asinina, were investigated. Treatments consisted of diets either containing a 1:1 ratio of cod liver oil (CLO) and soybean oil (SBO) (Diet 1) or thraustochytrid (Diet 2) as source of lipid and fatty acids at 2 % level. Natural diet Gracilariopsis heteroclada (Diet 3) served as the control. No significant difference in growth was observed in abalone fed Diet 3 (SGR: 5.3 % BW day^?1; DISL: 265 μm day^?1) and Diet 2 (SGR: 5.2 % BW day^?1; DISL: 255 μm day^?1). Survival ranged from 78 to 85 % for all treatments and was not significantly different from each other. A 96-h salinity stress test showed highest survival of 84 % in abalone fed Diet 2 compared with those fed diets 1 and 3 (42 %). The high growth rate of abalone fed Diet 2 and high tolerance to low salinity could be attributed to its high DHA content (8.9 %), which resulted to its high DHA/EPA ratio of 10.5 %. These fatty acids play a significant role in abalone nutrition. The fatty acid profile of abalone meat is a reflective of the fatty acid profile of the oil sources in the diet. The present study suggests that the use of Schizochytrium oil in lieu of CLO and SBO can support good growth of abalone which is comparable with abalone fed the natural seaweeds diet.