Investigation of environmental and land use impacts in forested permafrost headwaters of the Selenga-Baikal river system,Mongolia - Effects on discharge,water quality and macroinvertebrate diversity

Headwater streams play a major role for provision of ecosystem services, e.g. drinking water. We investigated a high-altitude headwater catchment of the Kharaa River (including 41 1st-order rivers) to understand the impact of land cover (especially forest cover), environment and human usage on runoff, chemical water quality and macroinvertebrate fauna in a river basin under discontinuous permafrost conditions in an arid, sparsely populated region of Mongolia. To verify our hypotheses that different landuses and environmental impacts in permafrost headwaters influence water quality, we investigated 105 sampling sites, 37 of them at intermittent stream sections without water flow. Discharge was positively impacted by land cover types steppe, grassland and forest and negatively by shrubland, forest burnt by wild fires (indicating a reduction of permafrost) and slope. Water quality was affected by altitude, longitude and latitude, shrub growth and water temperature. Shannon diversity of macroinvertebrates was driven by water temperature, iron content of the water, flow velocity, and subbasin size (adjusted R² = 0.54). Sample plots clustered in three groups that differed in water chemistry, macroinvertebrate diversity, species composition and bio-indicators. Our study confirms that steppes and grasslands have a higher contribution to runoff than forests, forest cover has a positive impact on water quality, and diversity of macroinvertebrates is higher in sites with less nutrients and pollutants. The excellent ecological status of the upper reaches of the Kharaa is severely threatened by forest fires and human-induced climate change and urgently needs to be conserved.     

Intestinal Microbiota in Large Yellow Croaker,Larimichthys crocea,at Different Ages

The polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR‐DGGE) of 16S ribosomal RNA gene was used to investigate bacterial communities in the intestines of large yellow croaker at six different ages (12 d, 18 d, 26 d, 40 d, 3 mo, and 1 yr old) as well as within the corresponding feed and culture water. In addition, Illumina Miseq sequencing was utilized to compare intestinal microbiota between 12‐d‐old and 1‐yr‐old individuals. PCR‐DGGE results revealed that the culture water had the highest bacterial diversity, followed by the feed, while the intestines had the lowest diversity. The intestinal microbiota at six ages changed severely; however, the change did not follow any trend. The large yellow croaker intestines harbored specific bacterial communities that differed from those in both feed and water. Illumina Miseq sequencing results revealed that the diversity of intestinal bacteria in 12‐d‐old fish was higher than that in 1‐yr‐old fish, and the bacterial composition differed significantly between them. γ‐Proteobacteria and Pseudoalteromonas supplied the most abundant phylum and genus in the 12‐d‐old fish intestine. However, in the 1‐yr‐old fish intestine, Firmicutes and Clostridium were the most dominant, respectively. The study may contribute to a better understanding of gut microbiota and dynamics of the large yellow croaker and the relationship with their surrounding environment.     

Migration pathways,speed and mortality of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts in a Scottish river and the near‐shore coastal marine environment

Long‐distance migration of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is known to result in high levels of mortality. For a species experiencing global population decline, it is thus vital to better understand migration behaviour, both in the river and marine stages. Atlantic salmon smolts (n = 50) were tracked using acoustic telemetry in the River Deveron, Scotland, and adjacent coastal area. Higher rates of mortality were observed in the river (0.77% per km) than the early marine stage of migration (0.0% per km). Mortality likely resulted from predation. Higher swim speeds were recorded in the early marine stage compared with the river (marine = 7.37 ± 28.20 km/day; river = 5.03 ± 1.73 km/day [mean ± SD]), a potential predator avoidance behaviour. The majority of smolts leaving the river did so in darkness and on a flooding tide. Overall river and marine migration success were linked to nights of lower lunar brightness. Marine migration speed decreased with increasing environmental noise levels, a finding with implications for fisheries management. The migration pathway in the early marine environment did not follow obvious geographical features, such as the coastline. Thus, we suggest that early marine environment pathways are more influenced by complex water currents. These findings highlight factors that influence smolt migration survival and behaviour, areas on which future research should focus.     

蛋鸡脂肪肝综合征模型的建立

试验旨在建立蛋鸡脂肪肝综合征病理模型。选取5日龄的海兰褐蛋鸡公雏280只，随机分为对照组（基础日粮组）和3个模型组（A、B、C组），试验第1~10天给模型组饲喂不同配比的高脂饲料，第11~20天饲喂常规基础日粮，每天观察并记录试验鸡精神状态、外观体征、饮水量和食欲情况，试验第0、10、20天从各组随机抽取15只鸡进行翅静脉采血并剖取肝脏和腹脂，测定肝脏系数、肝脂率、腹脂率，血清总胆固醇（TC）、甘油三酯（TG）、谷丙转氨酶（ALT）和谷草转氨酶（AST）水平。结果显示，试验第10天，3个模型组剖检时可见腹腔和肠系膜有大量的脂肪沉积，肝脏系数、肝脂率和腹脂率，以及血清中总胆固醇、甘油三酯、谷丙转氨酶和谷草转氨酶指标均符合鸡脂肪肝综合征模型的诊断标准；试验第20天，模型A、B组谷丙转氨酶和谷草转氨酶水平有所恢复，其他指标仍高于对照组，而模型C组的临床症状和各项检测指标仍符合鸡脂肪肝综合征模型的诊断标准。因此采用连续饲喂高脂饲料C（74.5%基础日粮、6%胆固醇、14%猪油、5%蔗糖、0.5%丙基硫氧嘧啶）可成功建立蛋鸡脂肪肝综合征模型。     

Thresholds,sensitive stages and genetic variability of finger millet to high temperature stress

Finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.] is an important coarse cereal crop grown in the arid and semi‐arid regions and often experiences high temperature (HT) stress. The objectives of this research were (i) to quantify effects of season‐long HT stress on physiological and yield traits, (ii) to identify the developmental stages most sensitive to HT stress and (iii) to quantify the genetic variability for HT stress tolerance in finger millet. Research was conducted in controlled environment conditions. HT stress decreased the chlorophyll index, photosystem II activity, grain yield and harvest index. Maximum decrease in number of seeds per panicle and grain yield per plant was observed when stress was imposed during booting, panicle emergence or flowering stages. Maximum genotypic variation was explained by panicle width and number of seeds per panicle at optimum temperature (OT) and grain yield per plant at HT and number of seeds at HT. Based on the stress response and grain yield, tolerant or susceptible genotypes were identified. Finger millet is sensitive to HT stress during reproductive stages, and there was genotypic variability among the finger millet genotypes for number of seeds per panicle and grain yield under HT, which can be exploited to enhance stress tolerance.     

粪肠球菌生长曲线的测定及其对小鼠脑组织的影响

为测定致羔羊脑炎粪肠球菌（Enterococcus faecalis）的生长曲线，寻求一种快速而准确的方法测定不同生长时期粪肠球菌数量，并客观评价其毒性强弱及其对小鼠脑组织的影响，试验采用平板菌落计数法和OD-Monitor振荡比浊法（D_λ值法）测定粪肠球菌的生长曲线，探究该菌在合适时间段内的吸光值（D_{600 nm}）与平板菌落计数法测定的活菌数（CFU）的关系。用粪肠球菌感染小鼠，观察记录小鼠的死亡情况，最后采用Karber法计算粪肠球菌感染小鼠的半数致死量（LD₅₀）。用LD₅₀的剂量感染小鼠，及时采集死亡小鼠脑组织，未死亡的小鼠72 h后全部剖杀取脑组织，一部分做涂片染色，制作病理切片，观察病理变化；一部分进行培养，用于PCR方法进行细菌的回收鉴定。结果显示，用两种方法测定此株粪肠球菌的生长曲线基本一致，在2~8 h生长迅速，为对数生长期，8~14 h生长缓慢，为稳定期，14 h之后死亡数增加，进入衰亡期；对12 h粪肠球菌D_{600 nm}与CFU的关系进行探讨，成功建立回归方程：y=20.769x-1.3422，R²=0.997；其感染小鼠的LD₅₀为7.77×10¹¹个活菌。以此剂量感染小鼠，脑组织涂片染色和培养染色，均能看到革兰氏阳性球菌；PCR结果显示，均出现了大小为112 bp的条带。对脑组织进行病理学观察发现该菌可导致脑组织充血、出血、形成微血栓，脑膜充血。通过生长曲线和其D_{600 nm}与CFU关系的建立，可实时监测粪肠球菌数量，为后期更深入研究粪肠球菌穿越血脑屏障的机制奠定重要的理论基础。     

Breaking the ice: the introduction of biofouling organisms to Antarctica on vessel hulls

1. Few reports exist that describe marine non‐native species in the Southern Ocean and near‐shore waters around the Antarctic continent. Nevertheless, Antarctica's isolated marine communities, which show high levels of endemism, may be vulnerable to invasion by anthropogenically introduced species from outside Antarctica via vessel hull biofouling.
2. Hull surveys of the British Antarctic Survey's RRS James Clark Ross were undertaken between 2007 and 2014 at Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula (Lat. 67°34'S; Long. 68°07'W) to investigate levels of biofouling. In each case, following transit through scouring sea‐ice, over 99% of the vessel hull was free of macroscopic fouling communities. However, in some surveys microbial/algal biofilms, balanomorph barnacles and live individuals of the cosmopolitan pelagic barnacle, Conchoderma auritum were found in the vicinity of intake ports, demonstrating the potential for non‐native species to be transported to Antarctica on vessel hulls.
3. Increasing ship traffic volumes and declining duration of sea ice in waters to the north and west of the Antarctic Peninsula mean the region may be at increased risk of non‐native species introductions. Locations at particular risk may include the waters around popular visitor sites, such as Goudier Island, Neko Harbour, Whalers Bay, Cuverville Island and Half Moon Island, and around northern peninsula research stations.
4. Simple and cost‐effective mitigation measures, such as intentionally moving transiting ships briefly through available offshore sea ice to scour off accessible biofouling communities, may substantially reduce hull‐borne propagule pressure to the region. Better quantification of the risk of marine non‐native species introductions posed by vessel hulls to both Arctic and Antarctic environments, as sea ice patterns and shipping traffic volumes change, will inform the development of appropriate regional and international management responses.

Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Does full protection count for the maintenance of β‐diversity patterns in marine communities? Evidence from Mediterranean fish assemblages

1. Although it is widely recognized that protection may enhance size, abundance, and diversity of fish, its effect on spatial heterogeneity of fish assemblages and species turnover is still poorly understood.
2. Here the effect of full protection within a Mediterranean marine protected area on β‐diversity patterns of fish assemblages along a depth gradient comparing a no‐take zone with multiple unprotected areas is explored. The no‐take zone showed significantly higher synecological parameters, higher β‐diversity among depths, and lower small‐scale heterogeneity of fish assemblages relative to unprotected areas.
3. Such patterns might likely depend on the high level of fishing pressure outside the no‐take zone, as also abundance‐biomass curves seemed to indicate. Results suggested that full protection could play a role in maintaining high β‐diversity, thus reducing the fragility of marine communities and ecosystems, and spatial heterogeneity may represent a reliable predictor of how management actions could provide insurance against undesirable phase shifts.

     

Combining fishers’ knowledge and cost‐effective monitoring tools in the management of marine recreational fisheries: A case study of the squid and cuttlefish fishery of the Ría of Vigo (NW Spain)

A new methodology based in the use of fishers’ knowledge and cost‐effective tools to obtain information about marine recreational fisheries (MRF) is presented. The squid and cuttlefish fishery of the Ría of Vigo (NW Spain) was selected because it is managed in a data‐poor environment. In‐depth interviews (57) were conducted with fishers, collecting ecological and socio‐economic information. A cartography of fishing grounds based on their knowledge was obtained, while the intensity of effort and catches was mapped by the monitoring of two vessels with low‐cost GPS data loggers. The 102 shore anglers and 248 recreational boats catch 8 t/year of European squid Loligo vulgaris and 11 t/year of common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis (11% of total catches on these species in the area). Shore anglers fish from 11 ports, while boat fishers use 14 fishing grounds (covering 30 km²). Most of the catches (86%) are landed by boats, and their CPUE is higher in the outer part of the Ría of Vigo. The use of fishers’ knowledge and cost‐effective monitoring is encouraged to obtain information for the management of MRF. Given the economic contribution of MRF (260,000 €/year in direct expenses), this activity should be considered in the regulations.     

Polymerisation of gluten proteins in developing wheat grain as affected by desiccation

The breadmaking quality of wheat is affected by the composition of gluten proteins and the polymerisation of subunits that are synthesised and accumulated in developing wheat grain. The biological mechanisms and time course of these events during grain development are documented, but not widely confirmed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to monitor the accumulation of gluten protein subunits and the size distribution of protein aggregates during grain development. The effect of desiccation on the polymerisation of gluten proteins and the functional properties of gluten were also studied. The results showed that the size of glutenin polymers remained consistently low until yellow ripeness (YR), while it increased during grain desiccation after YR. Hence, this polymerisation process was presumed to be initiated by desiccation. A similar polymerisation event was also observed when premature grains were dried artificially. The composition of gluten proteins, the ratios of glutenin to gliadin and high molecular weight-glutenin subunits to low molecular weight-glutenin subunits, in premature grain after artificial desiccation showed close association with the size of glutenin polymers in artificially dried grain. Functional properties of gluten in these samples were also associated with polymer size after artificial desiccation.