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.     

Isolation and characterization of the interspecific fusants from Streptomycetes obtained using a liquid regeneration method

ABSTRACT: Protoplast fusion between different species of Streptomyces was performed using a liquid regeneration method developed for a rapid and simple preparation of the fusants. Consequently, new clones, which could not be obtained using the conventional agar regeneration method, were obtained. In the crosses between S. griseus and S. durhamensis , and between S. californicus and S. catenulae , eight and two recombinants, respectively, were obtained using the liquid regeneration method. Conversely, in the case of crosses between S. ornatus and S. catenulae , and between S. ornatus and S. vendargensis , seven recombinants each were obtained using only the agar method. The physiological characteristics, such as the assimilation of carbohydrate and antibiotic resistance, of these fusants differed considerably from those of their parental strains. Using the proposed liquid regeneration method, a simpler and quicker procedure for protoplast fusion is described.     

Overcompensation of seed production caused by clipping of Bidens pilosa var. radiata (Compositae): Implications for weed control on Iriomote‐Jima Island,Japan

The invasion of natural ecosystems by exotic species is a major threat to biodiversity on a local, regional, and global scale. Endemic island flora are particularly vulnerable to invasive species. Bidens pilosa var. radiata is a common invasive weed of roadsides, which are subject to clipping, on Japanese subtropical islands. To assess compensation by the weed to damage by clipping, a pot experiment was conducted under common garden conditions. The above‐ground parts were clipped with pruning shears at various frequencies, ranging from no clipping (the control) to clipping at 4–16 week intervals for 32 weeks in summer. The clipped individuals regenerated new branches from the axillary buds and flowered for ≤12 weeks after the clipping. The regeneration after the clipping gave rise to secondary reproduction, whereas minimal regeneration occurred in the unclipped individuals after the maturation of the fruit. Consequently, the total flower head mass, represented by the dry weight of the inflorescences throughout the experiment, was higher on the individuals that were clipped at 12 and 16 week intervals than on the unclipped individuals, suggesting overcompensation in fecundity. At the higher frequencies of above‐ground clipping, the flower head mass was suppressed at 8 week clipping intervals, while both the flower head mass and the productive biomass were suppressed at 4 week clipping intervals. This indicates that clipping at intervals of ≤8 weeks is required to prevent the reproduction of this weed.     

Locating Backup Facilities to Enhance Supply Chain Disaster Resilience

The use of emergency backup and storage facilities to supplement existing facilities in response to the potential effects of various natural and anthropogenic hazards (e.g., floods, fires, outages, and acts of malice) can be an effective way of reducing vulnerability and enhancing the resilience of supply chain and other logistics functions. Although there can be additional costs associated with utilizing emergency backup and storage facilities, they can be a particularly attractive and cost‐effective alternative in those cases where long‐term disruptions can, or should, be expected. In this paper we use set cover location modeling as a decision to determine the number of backup facilities to locate under varying cover, anticover, and complementary anticover distances. We then add the flexibility of allowing existing facilities to serve as backup facilities and explore the interrelationships among hazards, vulnerability, and location. Finally, these model formulations are applied to an example data set over 900 cities and towns in New England and New York.     

Behavior of pyriftalid in soil and its phytotoxic activity on Echinochloa oryzoides seedlings emerging from various soil depths

The phytotoxic activity of pyriftalid ([RS]‐7‐[4,6‐dimethoxypyrimidin‐2‐ylthio]‐3‐methyl‐2‐benzofuran‐1[3H]‐one) on barnyard grass (Echinochloa oryzoides) seedlings emerging from various depths in the soil was investigated in relation to its behavior in the soil. The growth of the barnyard grass seedlings in the soil mixed with pyriftalid was inhibited, depending on the concentration of the herbicide in the soil water but not on the amount in the total soil. A topmost pyriftalid‐treated layer was formed by applying the herbicide to the soil surface under water‐leakage conditions. The concentration of pyriftalid in the soil water and the amount that was adsorbed on the soil solid decreased with time, but the decrease was more marked in the pyriftalid concentration in the soil water than in the amount that was adsorbed on the soil solid. The emergence time of barnyard grass in the soil was faster in the seeds that were located in the shallower soil layer, compared to the deeper soil layer. The growth inhibition of the barnyard grass seedlings emerging from the shallower soil layer was greater than that of the barnyard grass seedlings emerging from the deeper soil layer after the soil surface application of pyriftalid. It is suggested that the emergence timing from the different soil depths is an important factor affecting the herbicidal activity of pyriftalid when it is applied to the soil surface under paddy field conditions.