Feeding Frequency Affects Growth, Not Fillet Composition, of Juvenile Sunshine Bass Morone chrysops×M. saxatilis Grown in Cages

Abstract.— In an effort to feed sunshine bass Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis efficiently, promote optimal growth, and reduce labor costs associated with feeding, sunshine bass were grown in cages and fed one of four feeding frequencies: once/d, twice/d, once every other day (I X/EOD), and twice every other day (2X/EOD) for 21 wk. Juvenile sunshine bass were fed a commercial floating diet containing 40% protein and 11.5% lipid. One hundred fish were hand-counted and stocked into each of 12 3.5-m³ cages with three replications per treatment. At the conclusion of the study, percentage weight gain of sunshine bass fed twice/d was significantly (P < 0.05) higher (1,850%) compared to fish fed all other feeding frequencies. Specific growth rate (SGR) of fish fed twice/d was significantly higher (2.1%/d) compared to fish fed all other feeding regimes, while fish fed once/d had a higher SGR (2.0%/d) compared to fish fed I X/EOD (1.6%/d) and 2X/EOD (1.8%/d). Percentage survival was not significantly different (P > 0.05) among all treatments and averaged 70.4%r. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of fish fed twice/d was significantly higher (2.40) compared to fish fed all other feeding regimes. Percentage fillet weight of fish fed twice/d was significantly higher (27.8%) compared to all other treatments. Percentage moisture, protein, lipid, and ash in fillet were not significantly different among all treatments and averaged 75.7%, 19.4%, 3.5%, and 1.2%n, respectively (wet-weight basis). Based upon data from the present study, it appears that producers growing juvenile sunshine bass in cages may want to feed fish twice daily. This feeding regimen allows for higher growth rates, without adverse effects on body or fillet compositions. However, economic analysis needs to be conducted to determine if feeding twice/d is profitable.     

The phenomenon of stress: Concepts and mechanisms associated with stress-induced responses of the neuroendocrine system

Stress, stressors and the stress response are terms which represent concepts rather than oeing precisely definable. No single theory of stress has been universally accepted. Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome of stress remains the primary theory for the basis of stress research in food-producing animals; however, other concepts and theories have been developed. This paper reviews current theories and suggests that the complexity of research on stress in food-producing animals can be attributed to the lack of concrete theories and concepts regarding identifiable stressors, the endocrine responses stimulated by potential stressors and the complex and integrated biological changes in the neuro-endocrine system resulting from exposure to hypothesized stressors.     

Mode of action of the systemic fungicides furalaxyl,metalaxyl and ofurace

The systemic fungicides furalaxyl, metalaxyl and ofurace,

1 Ofurace is the proposed BSI and ISO common name for α-(2-chloro-N-2,6-xylylacetamido)-γ-butyrolactone.

used to control diseases caused by phycomycetes, were extremely active in vitro against Pythium ultimum, Phytophthora nicotianae and Phytophthora palmivora. Sporangia production was reduced more than mycelial growth but germination of sporangia and zoospores was relatively unaffected. Less than 1% of the metalaxyl or furalaxyl, present in media at the ED₅₀ for hyphal growth, was firmly absorbed by Phyt. palmivora mycelium; uptake was against a concentration gradient and was characterised by a rapid accumulation followed by a more gradual release. Respiration and wall synthesis were not inhibited, whilst membrane permeability was unaffected. Lipid patterns were altered but these changes were probably of secondary importance. The fungicides inhibited protein and nucleic acid synthesis; RNA production was particularly affected. There was some evidence of a reduction in nuclear division. The primary effect of furalaxyl and metalaxyl probably involves impaired biosynthesis of RNA so that mitosis is inhibited; ofurace may act in the same way.     

Estimation of Genetic Variation Among Verticillium Isolates using AFLP Analysis

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis was used to study genetic variation among 76 isolates of Verticillium. A dendrogram based on the AFLP data revealed three main groups. One group consisted of 35 European isolates derived from Brassica napus together with five Californian isolates taken from B. oleracea. This group displayed a high degree of genetic similarity and included three isolates earlier classified as Verticillium longisporum, indicating that all isolates in this group probably should be regarded as members of V. longisporum. V. dahliae isolates constituted the second group while the third group contained four V. albo-atrum isolates. In addition to these three groups, a cluster of six V. nigrescens isolates was observed. However, the genetic distances between the isolates of V. nigrescens were much higher than those between members in the other groups and the bootstrap value for the V. nigrescens cluster was subsequently low. Four isolates classified as V. tricorpus were highly diverse and did not cluster together. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that the isolates of V. longisporum were separated into four subgroups, based on geographic origin. The study furthermore shows that AFLP is a suitable method for studying population structure in Verticillium.     

膨胀素在果实完熟中的作用

 概述了细胞壁蛋白质膨胀素(Expansin)的发现、作用机制、基因家族、功能和研究现状。重点论述了膨胀素在果实完熟中的作用及其与细胞壁酶之间的相互关系，提出了利用转基因技术调节果实完熟和软化的新策略。关键词：中图分类号：     

Characterizing historical and modern fire regimes in Michigan (USA): A landscape ecosystem approach

We studied the relationships of landscape ecosystems to historical and contemporary fire regimes across 4.3 million hectares in northern lower Michigan (USA). Changes in fire regimes were documented by comparing historical fire rotations in different landscape ecosystems to those occurring between 1985 and 2000. Previously published data and a synthesis of the literature were used to identify six forest-replacement fire regime categories with fire rotations ranging from very short (<100 years) to very long (>1,000 years). We derived spatially-explicit estimates of the susceptibility of landscape ecosystems to fire disturbance using Landtype Association maps as initial units of investigation. Each Landtype Association polygon was assigned to a fire regime category based on associations of ecological factors known to influence fire regimes. Spatial statistics were used to interpolate fire points recorded by the General Land Office. Historical fire rotations were determined by calculating the area burned for each category of fire regime and dividing this area by fifteen (years) to estimate area burned per annum. Modern fire rotations were estimated using data on fire location and size obtained from federal and state agencies. Landtype Associations networked into fire regime categories exhibited differences in both historical and modern fire rotations. Historical rotations varied by 23-fold across all fire rotation categories, and modern forest fire rotations by 13-fold. Modern fire rotations were an order of magnitude longer than historical rotations. The magnitude of these changes has important implications for forest health and understanding of ecological processes in most of the fire rotation categories that we identified.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Symbiotic N<Subscript>2</Subscript> fixation and nitrate utilisation in irrigated lucerne (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago sativa</Emphasis>) systems

Symbiotic N₂ fixation by lucerne (Medicago sativa) has capacity to provide significant inputs of N to agro-ecosystems, and the species has also been shown to scavenge soil mineral N and thus act as a sink for excess reactive N. The balance between these two N cycle processes was investigated in an extensive irrigated lucerne growing region where nitrate contamination of groundwater has been reported. We sampled 18 permanent pure lucerne stands under irrigation for standing dry matter, total shoot N, and N₂ fixation using ¹⁵N natural abundance along with activity of the inducible enzyme nitrate reductase as indicators of use of soil NO₃⁻ by lucerne. On average 65% of lucerne N was obtained from symbiotic N₂ fixation. Converting standing dry matter estimates to annual N₂ fixation amounts we calculated average N₂ fixation of 311 kg N/ha, including N in roots and nodules. Uptake of N from soil by lucerne was calculated to be 181 kg N/ha/year. We were not able to identify the source of this soil mineral N, although nitrate reductase activity of lucerne was higher than that of non-N₂ fixing species examined.