Fish Oil,Se Yeast,and Micronutrient-Enriched Nutrition as Adjuvant Treatment during Target Therapy in a Murine Model of Lung Cancer

Despite the effectiveness of primary treatment modalities for cancer, the side effects of treatments, medication resistance, and the deterioration of cachexia after disease progression lead to poor prognosis. A supportive treatment modality to overcome these limitations would be considered a major breakthrough. Here, we used two different target drugs to demonstrate whether a nutraceutical formula (fish oil, Se yeast, and micronutrient-enriched nutrition; NuF) can interfere with cancer cachexia and improve drug efficacy. After Lewis lung cancer (LLC) tumor injection, the C57BL/6 mice were orally administered targeted therapy drugs Iressa and Sutent alone or combined with NuF for 27 days. Sutent administration effectively inhibited tumor size but increased the number of lung metastases in the long term. Sutent combined with NuF had no significant difference in tumor weight and metastasis compare with Sutent alone. However, NuF slightly attenuated metastases number in lung may via mesenchymal marker N-cadherin suppression. NuF otherwise increased epithelial-like marker E-cadherin expression and induce NO-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway in tumor cells, thereby strengthening the ability of the targeted therapy drug Iressa for inhibiting tumor progression. Our results demonstrate that NuF can promote the anticancer effect of lung cancer to targeted therapy, especially in Iressa, by inhibiting HIF-1α and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and inducing the apoptosis of lung cancer cells. Furthermore, NuF attenuates cancer-related cachectic symptoms by inhibiting systemic oxidative stress.     

Effect of Nutrient Media on the Growth,Physicochemical and Agar Properties of Gracilaria cliftonii Cultured in Ocean and Inland Saline Water

The effect of different nutrient media on growth, physicochemical, and agar properties of the marine algae Gracilaria cliftonii was investigated in ocean water (OW) and inland saline water (ISW). G. cliftonii fronds were cultured in 500-mL and 25-L containers with different nutrient media: Aquasol, Total, Guillard f2, Walnes, and Modified-Provasoli's Enriched Seawater in OW and ISW at 35 ppt. Specific growth rate (SGR) was higher in OW than ISW irrespective of nutrient media in both volumes. Growth of G. cliftonii in Guillard f2-supplemented OW was significantly higher than other nutrient media in both water types. Nutrient media had no influence on growth and agar properties. However, f2^?supplemented OW resulted in significantly higher agar yield (58.3% db) as compared to other media. Either f2 or Walnes media are preferred nutrient sources for culturing G. cliftonii in ocean and inland saline water.     

Aquaculture potential of the basket cockle (Clinocardium nuttallii). Part 1: effects of stocking density on first year grow‐out performance in intertidal and off‐bottom suspended culture

The basket cockle (Clinocardium nuttallii) is a candidate species for aquaculture in the northeast Pacific. The aim of the current research was to assess the feasibility of C. nuttallii grow‐out, with an emphasis on growth performance and qualities affecting product marketability. In this article, we investigated the combined effects of culture mode (intertidal and off‐bottom suspended culture) and initial stocking density (1500, 3000, 10 500 and 21 000 ind m^?2) on C. nuttallii survival and growth during the first year of grow‐out (May through October). In intertidal culture, cockles exhibited low survival and poor growth rates. In suspended culture, survival was consistently high (>96%) at all stocking densities tested; growth and condition parameters had the highest values at 1500 and 3000 ind m^?2. The edible portion (meat yield) exceeded 40% of the whole wet weight at all stocking densities, occurrences of fouled and deformed cockles were <1% and no commensal species were observed. Depending on the minimum harvestable size and stocking density chosen, harvestable proportions constituted from 1.1% to 15.2% by October of the first grow‐out year in the suspended system. The effects of stocking density and depth on second year grow‐out performance of C. nuttallii are reported in a companion paper (Dunham et al. in this issue).     

Aquaculture potential of the basket cockle (Clinocardium nuttallii). Part 2: effects of stocking density and depth on second year grow‐out performance of three size cohorts in intertidal and off‐bottom suspended culture

We investigated the effects of culture mode (intertidal and off‐bottom suspended culture) and initial stocking density (5%, 10%, 35% and 70% bottom cover) on survival, growth and condition indices of three size cohorts (16, 22 and 32 mm initial shell length) of the basket cockle, Clinocardium nuttallii, during a second year of grow‐out. In addition, we evaluated the effects of depth (2, 4 and 6 m) in suspended culture. All size cohorts demonstrated significantly higher growth rates, soft‐tissue biomass and condition indices in the off‐bottom suspended system compared to the intertidal one. In suspended culture, however, C. nuttallii exhibited sub‐optimal survival, shell deformities and heavy fouling. For all size cohorts, stocking density had a significant effect on most growth and condition parameters, except meat yield indices, in both culture modes. An initial maximum stocking density of 10% cover is recommended for all size cohorts. Culture depth did not have a consistent statistically significant effect on any of the growth or condition parameters. Depending on the grow‐out scenario, stocking density and harvestable size chosen, the cumulative harvestable proportion after the second year of grow‐out constituted 15.5–63.1% of the seed planted. Our results could be used to develop and improve culture techniques for C. nuttallii and other cockle species.     

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF INVESTMENT IN SMALL-SCALE RURAL FISH PONDS

This article provides a detailed empirical study of investment patterns in small-scale rural aquaculture and its relation to pond location based on a systematic fish pond survey in Lao PDR. Nominal investment categories of fish ponds were created based on stocking rate, feed and water and then spatially cross-referenced with a range of environmental factors, including distance to roads, land use, and distance to water resources. Contrary to current aquaculture development policies, the results show the dynamic nature of fish ponds as a source of water, native fish and exotic fish. It is concluded that policy makers and extension officers can make use of simple diagnostic models of fish pond use and investment to develop more contingent support to farmers that takes into consideration a wider portfolio of living aquatic resources in rural communities.     

GOVERNING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF PANGASIUS PRODUCTION IN VIETNAM: A REVIEW∗

The Vietnamese government's policies for an export-led economy have supported the rapid growth of Pangasius production but have had limited success in mitigating the environmental and social impacts stemming from unplanned and ad hoc expansion. Recognising the poor performance of state regulation the industry and government have turned to private or market-based environmental and social standards for Pangasius production. The success of these private governance arrangements is dependent on the capacity of producers to comply with standards within their wider environmental, social, cultural and economic context. This paper reviews current concerns over the sustainability of Pangasius production and draws attention to the challenges private governance initiatives face in steering towards sustainable production.     

The influence of the extensional viscosity of very low concentrations of high molecular mass water-soluble polymers on atomisation and droplet impact

BACKGROUND: Water-soluble polymers are increasingly added to herbicide and pesticide formulations at very low concentrations (100-1000 mg L(-1)) in order to control the spray characteristics, notably to reduce spray drift and influence droplet bounce. The incorporation of polymeric adjuvants improves the efficacy of the spray solutions, thus enabling crop growers to maximise the performance of agrochemical sprays at lower dose rates of active ingredient. It is important to establish a fundamental understanding of how polymers influence the processes involved in droplet deposition.RESULTS: The shear and extensional viscosities of a series of high molecular mass (M(w)) poly(acrylamides) (M(w) approximately 10(6)-10(7)) have been determined at very low concentrations (100-1000 mg L(-1)). The polymer solutions demonstrated typical shear thinning characteristics under shear, and strain hardening behaviour under extension above a critical strain rate. The presence of the polymers was shown to increase the size of droplets produced in atomisation using an agricultural spray nozzle, as measured by laser diffraction. This was attributed to the increase in the extensional viscosity at the strain rates generated under pressure in the spray nozzle and was a function of both polymer concentration and M(w). In addition, the presence of polymer was found to have a significant influence on droplet bounce.CONCLUSIONS: The presence of very low concentrations of high molecular mass poly(acrylamides) significantly influences the size of droplets formed on atomisation and subsequent bounce characteristics. Large extensional viscosities generated above a critical strain rate are responsible for both processes.     

赣南脐橙溃疡病菌菌系分化初步研究

从赣南6县市分离得到22株脐橙溃疡病菌并对其进行25项生理生化试验,结果表明,在所测试的16项生理特征中有8项(果糖、乳糖、麦芽糖、葡萄糖、柠檬酸盐、醋酸盐、耐盐性(1%～3%)和pH(5.0～8.0),反应结果相同,而在埘蔗糖、木糖、肌醇、山梨醇、甘露醇等碳源利用上存在差异显著;在9项生化试验项目中除硝酸盐还原都为阳...