高能湿法球磨制备鱼胶原肽螯合钙及其理化特征

为了拓展胶原肽螯合钙的制备工艺,以鱼胶原肽和CaCl2为原料,以高能湿法球磨的方法制备了鱼胶原肽螯合钙,并采用FT-IR红外图谱、X-衍射、EDS能谱等技术手段对其理化特性和结构进行分析。结果显示,随着球磨时间从15 min延长到240 min,鱼胶原肽的平均粒径逐渐降低,ZETA电位绝对值、分子量和pH值逐渐增加,鱼胶原肽对钙的螯合率逐渐从74.21%增加到85.42%。鱼胶原肽螯合钙与鱼胶原肽的主体化学结构相似,但是球磨后鱼胶原肽的-COO-1 VAS吸收峰(1 643.89 cm~(-1))向短波数方向移动到1 540～1 555 cm~(-1),而-NH2的特征吸收峰(3 313.9 cm~(-1))向长波数方向移动到3 337.12～3 380.59 cm~(-1)。球磨后鱼胶原在2θ=20°处的特征宽吸收峰消失,而在2θ=26、28、48和58°处出现多个尖峰和弥散峰,表明其从无定形结构向兼具结晶和无定形结构转变。鱼胶原肽螯合钙中钙元素比例逐渐增加,证实鱼胶原肽对钙的螯合率增加。研究表明,高能湿法球磨可应用于鱼胶原肽螯合钙的制备,该方法具有加工工艺简单、无污染和螯合率高等优点。     

鄱阳湖区反嘴鹬种群数量动态与空间分布格局

2002—2015年,采用同步调查法对鄱阳湖区反嘴鹬(Recurvirostra avosetta)越冬种群数量动态与空间分布格局进行了监测。结果表明:鄱阳湖区分布有稳定的反嘴鹬越冬种群,年平均数量为(16684±14653)只,2004年、2005年、2013年种群数量均超过目前其全球数量的10%,2004年冬季鄱阳湖区越冬反嘴鹬数量达到最大值,为47520只。鄱阳湖区共有70个湖泊记录到反嘴鹬,其中反嘴鹬种群数量达到全球1%以上的湖泊有20个。每年冬季鄱阳湖区反嘴鹬集中分布在常湖、蚌湖、花庙湖和下坝湖,而反嘴鹬利用频次最高的是大湖池,每年反嘴鹬的越冬数量为(1819±1593)只。各湖泊中反嘴鹬的年平均数量与利用频次之间不存在显著相关性。自然保护区涵盖了反嘴鹬在鄱阳湖越冬的主要湖泊,分布在保护区内的反嘴鹬种群占鄱阳湖区越冬总数量的(75.3±26.0)%,但仍有很多重要的湖泊没有被纳入到保护区范围。反嘴鹬对保护区内湖泊的利用频次与保护区外湖泊的利用频次不存在显著性差异,保护区内反嘴鹬的种群数量显著大于保护区外。     

金乌贼雄性规格和社群数量对求偶与交配行为的影响

为探讨不同规格雄性金乌贼(Sepia esculenta)在求偶交配过程中的竞争及优势等级,采用实验生态学方法,在室内可控条件下分别设置1L1S组、1L2S组和1L4S组(L和S分别表示大规格雄性和小规格雄性,数字表示实验中雄性金乌贼数量),连续摄像观察和记录金乌贼的繁殖行为。结果显示:(1)繁殖过程中金乌贼具有明显的领域行为和护卫伴游行为。(2)随着群体中小规格雄性比例的增加,处于优势地位的大规格雄性个体的优势等级发生变化,主要表现为大规格雄性护卫伴游时间、成功交配次数逐渐减少,而小规格雄性护卫伴游时间、成功交配次数逐渐增多。(3)当群体中小规格雄性较少时,大规格雄性常常主动攻击小规格雄性,而当小规格雄性数量远大于大规格雄性时,小规格雄性主动向其他雄性发起攻击,以争取护卫权和交配权。研究表明,雄性金乌贼的规格和数量对于求偶竞争以及交配行为具有显著影响。随着繁殖群体中小规格雄性增多,大规格雄性成功交配次数逐渐降低。1L4S组成功交配次数稍高于1L2S组,显著高于1L1S组(P0.05)。人工苗种繁育过程中选择合适规格的雄性亲体和合理的雌雄比例,对提高金乌贼繁殖效率具有重要意义。     

Three SNPs within exons of INHA and ACVR2B genes are significantly associated with litter size in Dazu black goats

The aim of this study was to analyse the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms within INHA and ACVR2B and litter size in Dazu black goats. In total, twenty-two SNPs were genotyped in 190 individuals by SNaPshot and resequencing. The results showed that three SNPs (SNP_1, SNP_12 and SNP_13 in this study) were detected to have significant additive genetic effect on the recorded goat litter size (p < .05). The SNP_1 (NC_030809.1), a non-synonymous substitution of G for T at chr2-g. 28314990 in the exon 2 of INHA gene (NM_001285606.1), resulted in homozygote 2 (HOM2) contributed 0.25 and heterozygote (HET) contributed 0.12 larger litter than homozygote 1 (HOM1). Meanwhile, SNP_12 (Chr22-g. 11721225 A > T) and SNP_13 (Chr22-g. 11721227 A > C) (NC_030829.1) simultaneously mutated at the first and third position of a triplet AAA (lysine, K) in the exon 4 of ACVR2B gene (XM_018066623.1) had estimated genetic effects of HOM1 (0.00) and HOM2 (0.03) larger than HET (−0.12). In conclusion, one SNPs (chr2-g. 28314990 T > G) within the exon 2 of INHA and two SNPs (Chr22-g. 11721225 A > T and Chr22-g. 11721227 A > C) i n the exon 4 of ACVR2B gene were highly recommended as candidate markers of litter size in Dazu black goats. A large-scale association study to assess the impact of these variants on litter size is still necessary.     

Diet,size and location as determinants of n‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid content in farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

We explored how currently manufactured feeds, under real‐world conditions and across geographically distinct locations, promoted flesh n‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC‐PUFA, i.e. 20:5n‐3 + 22:6n‐3) levels in various life stages of farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar). Potential effects on flesh LC‐PUFA included: (1) diet and fish weight at one Canadian east coast farm, (2) diet and farm location across six east coast farms, and (3) diet and farm location between east and west coast farms. For objectives 1 and 2, salmon were fed a currently manufactured feed (labelled as feeds A, B or C) and harvested at 1, 3 and 5 kg. LC‐PUFA levels in 5 kg (harvest size) fish were then compared to previously published values for west coast farmed Atlantic Salmon (Obj. 3). Combined results revealed that variability in LC‐PUFA levels was better explained by diet than by fish weight or farm location. Fish size, however, was also important for two reasons. First, feeding a high LC‐PUFA diet early in life appeared important for ensuring high LC‐PUFA levels at harvest size. Second, salmon flesh LC‐PUFA levels increased with fish size, but only when dietary LC‐PUFA was provided above an apparent threshold value (~3000 mg per 100 g or 10% of total fatty acids) that likely promoted LC‐PUFA incorporation and storage. Overall, our comparison makes new recommendations for feed manufacturers and demonstrates that farmed Atlantic Salmon reared under real‐world conditions on currently available salmon feeds were good sources of n‐3 LC‐PUFA to consumers.     

Kernel vitreousness and protein content: Relationship,interaction and synergistic effects on durum wheat quality

Four sets of durum samples were used in this study to further understand the interrelationships among hard vitreous kernels (HVK), protein content, and pigment concentration, with a focus on the interaction and synergistic effects of protein content and vitreousness on durum quality. HVK level increases with higher protein content in the range of 9.5–12.5%, but this relationship is less evident in durum samples with high protein content (12.5–14.5%). Both protein content and kernel vitreousness can significantly affect durum milling quality. White starchy kernels (WSK) in low protein durum have a very detrimental impact on milling and pasta processing quality, but high protein content can mitigate the adverse impact of WSK on durum quality. Although protein content plays a dominant role, higher HVK might contribute positively to pasta firmness. There was no significant difference in yellow pigment content between HVK and WSK. However, pigment loss from semolina to dough was higher for WSK than HVK. Despite the difference in protein content, HVK and WSK have little difference in gluten strength. The monomeric protein was preferentially accumulated in HVK. The glutenin proteins of HVK and WSK were similar in the ratios of 1Bx/1By and HMW/LMW-GS.     

Efficiency of fisheries is increasing at the ecosystem level

Managing fisheries presents trade‐offs between objectives, for example yields, profits, minimizing ecosystem impact, that have to be weighed against one another. These trade‐offs are compounded by interacting species and fisheries at the ecosystem level. Weighing objectives becomes increasingly challenging when managers have to consider opposing objectives from different stakeholders. An alternative to weighing incomparable and conflicting objectives is to focus on win–wins until Pareto efficiency is achieved: a state from which it is impossible to improve with respect to any objective without regressing at least one other. We investigate the ecosystem‐level efficiency of fisheries in five large marine ecosystems (LMEs) with respect to yield and an aggregate measure of ecosystem impact using a novel calibration of size‐based ecosystem models. We estimate that fishing patterns in three LMEs (North Sea, Barents Sea and Benguela Current) are nearly efficient with respect to long‐term yield and ecosystem impact and that efficiency has improved over the last 30 years. In two LMEs (Baltic Sea and North East US Continental Shelf), fishing is inefficient and win–wins remain available. We additionally examine the efficiency of North Sea and Baltic Sea fisheries with respect to economic rent and ecosystem impact, finding both to be inefficient but steadily improving. Our results suggest the following: (i) a broad and encouraging trend towards ecosystem‐level efficiency of fisheries; (ii) that ecosystem‐scale win–wins, especially with respect to conservation and profits, may still be common; and (iii) single‐species assessment approaches may overestimate the availability of win–wins by failing to account for trade‐offs across interacting species.     

Interactive effects of family and stocking density on survival and growth of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius

To investigate the effects of family, stocking density, and their interaction on mortality, growth rate, and size dispersal in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius, 1,440 juveniles from six full‐sib families were exposed to three stocking densities, that is, low stocking density (LD), middle stocking density (MD), and high stocking density (HD), and reared for 10 months in sea‐based suspended cages. The results demonstrated significant family effects on cumulative mortality rate (CMR); specific growth rate for test diameter (SGR for TD); specific growth rate for body weight (SGR for BW); coefficient of variation for body weight at the 10th month (CV for BW₁₀); and significant stocking density effects on SGR for TD, SGR for BW, and CV for BW₁₀. Statistically significant family by stocking density interaction was only found in SGR for TD. A certain degree of family‐ranking inversions occurred in SGR for TD. The present study provides evidence for the existence of family by stocking density interaction on the growth rate of test diameter in the family selection for S. intermedius. More attention should be paid to this interaction effect to select correct parents in S. intermedius.     

Improving wood volume predictions in dry tropical forest in the semi-arid Brazil

The volumetric variability of dry tropical forests in Brazil and the scarcity of studies on the subject show the need for the development of techniques that make it possible to obtain adequate and accurate wood volume estimates. In this study, we analyzed a database of thinning trees from a forest management plan in the Contendas de Sincorá National Forest, southwestern Bahia State, Brazil. The data set included a total of 300 trees with a trunk diameter ranging from 5 to 52 cm. Adjustments, validation and statistical selection of four volumetric models were performed. Due to the difference in height values for the same diameter and the low correlation between both variables, we do not suggest models which only use the diameter at breast height (DBH) variable as a predictor because they accommodate the largest estimation errors. In comparing the best single entry model (Hohenald-Krenn) with the Spurr model (best fit model), it is noted that the exclusion of height as a predictor causes the values of 136.44 and 0.93 for Akaike information criterion (AIC) and adjusted determination coefficient (R2 adj), which are poorer than the second best model (Schumacher-Hall). Regarding the minimum sample size, errors in estimation (root mean square error (RMSE) and bias) of the best model decrease as the sample size increases, especially when a larger number of trees with DBH≥15.0 cm are randomly sampled. Stratified sampling by diameter class produces smaller volume prediction errors than random sampling, especially when considering all trees. In summary, the Spurr and Schumacher-Hall models perform better. These models suggest that the total variance explained in the estimates is not less than 95%, producing reliable forecasts of the total volume with shell. Our estimates indicate that the bias around the average is not greater than 7%. Our results support the decision to use regression methods to build models and estimate their parameters, seeking stratification strategies in diameter classes for the sample trees. Volume estimates with valid confidence intervals can be obtained using the Spurr model for the studied dry forest. Stratified sampling of the data set for model adjustment and selection is necessary, since we find significant results with mean error square root values and bias of up to 70% of the total database.