Optimal dietary taurine level for growth of juvenile Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

The requirement for taurine in juvenile Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus was determined by feeding diets containing various levels of taurine and cystine. Test diets supplemented with 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% of taurine or with 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% of L -cystine were prepared. The basal diet contained 55% protein from white fish meal. These diets were fed to juvenile Japanese flounder with an initial mean bodyweight of 0.9 g (total length (TL) 48 mm) for 5 weeks. Approximately 1.4% taurine content in the diet was required for optimum growth of juvenile flounder. A positive linear relationship was noted between the content of taurine accumulated in the muscle, liver and brain and the level of taurine in the diet. However, there was no increased taurine content in tissues of fish fed the cystine-supplemented diet. In contrast, the fish fed control and cystine-supplemented diets showed higher contents of cystathionine in the tissues. The concentration of cystathionine in tissues rapidly decreased with an increase of taurine in the diet. It was also observed that for each of the dietary groups, a trace amount of taurine was excreted. These results suggest that the taurine content in the diet affects the sulfur amino acid metabolism of juvenile Japanese flounder, and indicate that juvenile flounder are unable to biosynthesize taurine from cystine.     

Effect of dietary supplementation with taurine, β-alanine andGABA on the growth of juvenile and fingerling Japanese flounder Paralichthysolivaceus

ABSTRACT:   Three diets supplemented with taurine, β-alanine andGABA and a control diet were fed to juvenile and fingerling Japaneseflounder to investigate the effects of the diets on growth and metabolicchanges of free amino acids in whole body and tissues. In experimentI, three diets supplemented with 1% each of taurine, β-alanineand GABA and a control diet were fed to juvenile Japanese flounderwith an initial mean body weight of 0.4 g for 4 weeks at20°C. In experiment II, the taurine-supplemented diet anda control diet were fed to fingerling Japanese flounder with an initialmean body weight of 15 g for 4 weeks at 20°C.Only supplementation of taurine in the diet of juvenile flounderimproved their growth performance in experiment I, but fingerlinggrowth performance of experiment II was not significantly relatedto taurine supplementation in the experimental diet. These resultssuggest that there is a greater requirement for taurine for thegrowth of juvenile Japanese flounder than fingerling Japanese flounder.     

不同耕作措施对土壤含水量及玉米出苗率的影响

研究了8种土壤耕作措施对春季土壤含水量及玉米出苗率的影响.结果表明,不同耕作措施间存在极显著的差异.在5～10 cm耕层内,秋起垄(秋整地)的土壤含水量高,与春整地的耕作措施存在极显著的差异;在11～15 cm耕层内,早春顶凌复垄措施的土壤含水量高,与其它6项耕作措施存在显著差异.秋翻地秋起垄早春顶凌复垄和不翻地秋起垄早春顶凌复垄的土壤耕作措施,玉米出苗率达到了88.7%以上。     

Development and comparative test of squid liver artificial bait for tuna longline

ABSTRACT:   We have been developing an artificial bait for longline tuna fishing using the liver of the Japanese common squid Todarodes pacificus , a waste product of the squid fisheries industry, as the primary component. Three control test operations using the artificial bait and natural squid were conducted during January 1998, 1999 and 2000. During these operations, we compared the angling performance of the artificial bait with that of the natural squid. Some tuna was caught using the artificial bait; however, the hooking ratio for the artificial bait was less than that for the natural baits. Despite this, there was no significant difference between the hooking ratio by artificial bait and natural squid. In addition, species selectivity in the by-catch, a characteristic particular to this artificial bait, was observed. In the present paper, we discuss the hooking ratio and the reduction in by-catch of the artificial bait compared with natural bait.     

沙地人工植被恢复及其对土壤改良作用的研究

通过对科尔沁沙地流动沙丘人工固沙植被恢复过程及对土壤改良作用的研究表明,在流动沙丘进行人工固沙时采用1.0 m×1.0 m草方格,播种小叶锦鸡儿具有较好的固沙效果,经过3～4 a可使沙丘表面得到固定。在围栏封育条件下实施适宜的植被恢复措施,可在2～3 a获得明显的固沙效果。小叶锦鸡儿人工固沙群落内土壤养分随群落的生长发育而发生变化,在0～30 cm土层中,有机质、速效钾、全氮、水解性氮、全磷、有效磷含量都表现为：11年生群落〉6年生群落〉流动沙丘。     

High Temperature Growth Effects on Citrus Limon Fruit Tissue as Studied in Vitro

Albedo and juice vesicle of lemon fruits exposed to the direct rays of the summer sun showed temperatures as much as 8° C. higher or 2° C. lower than the surrounding air.

In fruits damaged by excessive heat not all cells within the injured portion were lethally affected. Tissue cultures of injured parts yielded callus, although in a smaller quantity than uninjured parts.

Experiments with cultures of callus established from undamaged albedo or juice vesicle showed that lemon cells were not killed by a single continuous exposure to nearly 50 hours at 45° C., 4 hours at 50° C., and 15 minutes at 55° C. The loss in growth potential following non-lethal exposures to 45° C. or 50° C. was completely restored by reculturing the callus at 30° C. Growth depressions resulting at 55° C., however, were not reversed by a similar reculturing procedure. Callus cultures were also reduced in growth, but not killed, by short daily exposures of 3 or 6 hours to a 45° C. temperature. The reduction was more severe as the number of days of exposure was increased, and the 6-hour treatment more quickly showed the adverse effects.     

我国固沙植物抗旱性及基于水量平衡的沙地造林合理密度研究进展

针对我国部分地区固沙成林出现早衰甚至枯死问题,本文对沙地典型固沙植物抗旱性特征、固沙林地水分平衡特征和基于水分平衡的沙地合理造林密度研究进行了论述,明确了沙地植被恢复中,应根据植物的抗旱性特征,对水分循环规律进行量化研究,并参照其地带性植被的特征和立地条件的空间异质性,进行植物种类和密度的规划确定,以期为建立稳定的人工固沙植被提供依据。     

Studies on herbicidal carbamoyltetrazolinone derivatives: Selection of fentrazamide

1-Phenyl-5(4 H )-4-dialkylcarbamoyltetrazolinones represent a new class of herbicides that are active against barnyardgrass ( Echinochloa spp.) in paddy fields. To select the most favorable compound as a paddy herbicide, herbicidal activity and selectivity of the carbamoyltetrazolinone compounds to transplanted rice were determined in greenhouse tests. Higher herbicidal activities were associated with the compounds having a 2-Cl- or 2-Cl-6-Me-substituted or an unsubstituted phenyl ring, and a combination of C_2–3 linear alkyl group and a C₄ branched-chain alkyl or a C_5–6 cycloalkyl group on the nitrogen atom in the carbamoyl structure. In addition, the compounds carrying a total of seven to nine carbon atoms in the substituents on the carbamoyl nitrogen exhibited a good selectivity between barnyardgrass and transplanted rice plants. From the results of soil thick-layer chromatography, the good crop compatibility of carbamoyltetrazolinones was correlated to the mobility of the compounds in paddy soil. The investigation resulted in the selection of an excellent compound, 4-(2-chlorophenyl)- N -cyclohexyl- N -ethyl-4,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1 H -tetrazole-1-carboxamide (common name: fentrazamide), as a rice paddy herbicide for controlling barnyardgrass.     

Population reproductive potential: Evaluation of long-term stock productivity

In order to avoid recruitment overfishing, fish stocks must have sufficient reproductive ability. The spawning stock biomass (SSB), which ignores the value of immature fish, is widely used as an index of stock sustainability. From the perspective of sustainability, immediate reproduction, as well as future spawning, must be considered. We developed an index of long-term stock productivity, called the population reproductive potential (PRP). PRP is defined as the expected total reproductive value of the standing stock. We used PRP to assess the western Atlantic bluefin tuna (WBT) stock. The trends in SSB, numbers (N), biomass and PRP of WBT are inconsistent when compared to each other, due to fluctuation in age composition. We evaluated the long-term productivity of WBT by computer simulation and compared the result with trends in the abundance indices. The result of the computer simulation was highly consistent with the trend in the PRP. Short-term trends in SSB and N often do not reflect long-term stock trends, because they are highly sensitive to age-composition dynamics. The PRP is useful for evaluating stock trends, especially when the age composition is unstable.     

Recovery policy for chub mackerel stock using recruitment-per-spawning

The stock abundance of chub mackerel ( Scomber japonicus ) in the Pacific Ocean off Japan declined in the 1980s and remained at low levels through the 1990s. There were recruitment successes in 1992 and 1996. However, the cohorts born in these years were heavily fished before the age of maturity and chub mackerel has not begun to recover. To investigate the effects of conserving immature fish, we created four recovery policies: (i) policy 0, actual fishing mortality during the 1990s; (ii) policy 1, conserve strong year classes; (iii) policy 2, apply the average fishing mortality in the 1970s–1980s after 1992; and (iv) policy 3, a 55% reduction of the mortality adopted by policy 2. Policy 3 was considered to be the best in terms of final stock abundance and total catch from 1992 to 1999. We also calculate the future projection of stock and catch under these three policies as well as using average fishing mortality from 1993 to 1999. Using average fishing mortality from 1993 to 1999, the stock will not be recovered within the next 20 years. Even under the best policy, the risk that the final stock is not recovered to 3 million tons within the next 10 years is 40%.