樟子松梢小卷蛾产卵器、复眼和口器感受器的扫描电镜观察

为了研究樟子松梢小卷蛾Rhyacionia pinicolana (Doubleday)（鳞翅目:卷蛾科）的产卵器、复眼和口器上感受器的外部形态、类型和分布特点,从野外采集被害的樟子松侧枝,在室内培养出樟子松梢小卷蛾成虫,通过QUANTA-200型扫描电镜对其进行了观察。观察表明,在樟子松梢小卷蛾产卵器、复眼和口器上共有4种类型感受器,分别是着生于产卵器上的毛形感受器(STⅠ,STⅡ,STⅣ),着生于口器上的毛形感受器Ⅲ型(STⅢ)、栓锥形感受器(SS)和腔锥感受器(coe),着生于复眼上的锥形感受器(SBa)。樟子松梢小卷蛾上观察到的这4种类型的感受器,在形态、类型和分布上,与其他鳞翅目昆虫相同部位观察到的不尽相同。     

发动机配气机构弹簧有限元分析

气门弹簧是发动机配气机构的重要组件之一,气门弹簧是否符合技术要求是发动机能否正常工作的关键。对弹簧进行强度、刚度、抗疲劳强度以及模态分析,分别采用耦合式有限元分析法和夹板式有限元分析法对弹簧进行了对比分析,发现弹簧内侧为弹簧的易疲劳区,弹簧的强度、刚度、抗疲劳强度满足技术要求,没有共振现象。研究还表明,夹板式有限元分析法比耦合式准确。     

中国农业企业全要素生产率区域比较及驱动因素分析——基于1 126家国家重点龙头企业

使用2013—2015年农业产业化国家重点龙头企业数据,测度中国各地级市农业企业全要素生产率,并进行空间比较,在此基础上,并就影响中国农业企业全要素生产率的相关因素进行分析。结果显示:1)整体来看,2013—2015年中国农业企业全要素生产率变动幅度不大;2)从各省份来看,农业企业全要素生产率差异较为明显,仅有个别省份全要素生产率呈现递增趋势;从各地市来看,各地市农业企业全要素生产率空间差异大,但是各地市农业全要素生产率排名变化不大,全要素生产率处于中高水平以上的企业不多;3)从影响中国农业企业全要素生产率的因素来看,研发投入、要素密集度和企业规模对中国农业企业全要素生产率的影响为正,企业出口并未对农业企业全要素生产率起到推进作用。     

乐都紫皮大蒜叶片生长发育与果聚糖代谢的关系

为了探讨高原大蒜生长特性及其果聚糖代谢规律,分析叶片生长发育与果聚糖代谢的关系,本研究以"乐都紫皮大蒜"为材料,对不同发育期的大蒜叶片生长情况、生理指标及其果聚糖代谢关键基因的表达特征进行了解析。结果表明:随着生育期的延续,大蒜植株的最大叶长、最大叶宽和单株叶片数均稳步增加。叶片生理指标呈现先升高后降低的趋势,总叶绿素含量在花芽分化之前快速上升,在抽薹期达到最大值2.32 mg/g FW;组织含水量在鳞茎膨大初期达到最大值89.06%,随后急剧降低。在整个发育过程中,大蒜叶片蔗糖:蔗糖1-果糖基转移酶基因(1-SST)和果聚糖外切水解酶基因(1-FEH)表达量存在显著差异,从幼苗期至鳞茎膨大初期,1-SST基因表达量显著高于1-FEH。1-SST的表达在全生育期表现为"升高-降低"的趋势,在抽薹期,1-SST的表达量达到峰值,比幼苗期提高了17.51倍;1-FEH在全生育期的表达量均较低,呈现起伏波动的趋势,在收获期表达量最高,是苗期的2.41倍。综合分析说明,大蒜叶片叶绿素和果聚糖的合成高峰主要在抽薹期,抽薹期是大蒜叶片生长发育和果聚糖代谢的关键时期,大蒜可通过叶绿素的合成以及1-SST和1-FEH的差异表达进一步影响鳞茎果聚糖的累积。     

Recreational fishery as a conservation tool for endemic Dolly Varden <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salvelinus malma miyabei</Emphasis> in Lake Shikaribetsu,Japan

Recreational angling is a popular leisure activity globally and can be a threat or useful conservation tool depending on the management strategy. Miyabe charr Salvelinus malma miyabei is an endemic fish that inhabits Lake Shikaribetsu, and a management program was established to harmonise recreational fishery and conservation. To examine the suitability of this program, population assessment was conducted with the cooperation of anglers. The population size in 2014 as assessed by tag-and-release angling was estimated to be 105,300 [95% confidence interval (CI) 37,300–178,600], much higher than the reported estimate in 1995. Further, angling mortality was estimated to be quite low. Moreover, no decreasing population trend was detected on analysing 8 years of anglers’ catch data. Consequently, angling has facilitated stock assessments of Miyabe charr under the current program. This case is a good example of recreational angling acting as a conservation tool under appropriate management.     

Recording cerebellar neuron activities in swimming goldfish

ABSTRACT:   Neuronal activities were investigated in the cerebellum of immobilized and swimming goldfish Carassius auratus . Extracellularly recorded neural activities of the cerebellum in immobilized goldfish were characterized and classified into five types. Based on the waveforms and recording depths, these five neural activity types were estimated to originate from three identified classes of cerebellar neurons: Purkinje cells, eurydendroid cells, and granule cells. Chronic recording of cerebellar neuron activities in unrestrained goldfish was performed for more than 100 h. During the chronic recordings, a submersible amplifier attached to the goldfish head, and a multielectrode array developed for the present study were used. Neuronal activities in the cerebellum of free-swimming fish could also be classified into five types as in the immobilized condition. Firing patterns of two neurons identified as Purkinje cells and eurydendroid cells were analyzed during turning movements of the goldfish. The firing patterns of these neurons changed in relation to turning movements. Although some improvements are required, the chronic recording method developed in the present study can be applied to further investigations concerning the direct relationship between brain neural activities and certain behavior.     

Inhibitory effect of 2,4-dibromophenol and 2,4,6-tribromophenol on larval survival and metamorphosis of the sea urchin <Emphasis Type="Italic">Strongylocentrotus nudus</Emphasis>

ABSTRACT:   As a possible factor leading to the low recruitment level of sea urchins in kelp forests, the inhibitory effect of 2,4-dibromophenol (DBP) and 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP) released from the large perennial brown algae Ecklonia kurome and Eisenia bicyclis on survival and metamorphosis of eight-armed larvae of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus nudus was examined. The percentage of larvae that underwent metamorphosis in filtered sea water after 1 h exposure to one-half dilution of saturated dibromomethane solution (∼60 ppm) as a chemical inducer reached approximately 100% after 1 h, while that in filtered sea water containing 1 ppm TBP was reduced to 73%. This was further reduced to less than 40% in the presence of 10 and 20 ppm TBP after 2 h. In filtered sea water containing 1 and 10 ppm DBP, the proportion of metamorphosed larvae was reduced markedly to 43 and 5% after 2 h, respectively. All larvae exposed to 50 ppm TBP and to 20 and 50 ppm DBP died after 1 h. These findings suggest that DBP is more toxic than TBP for sea urchin larvae, strongly inhibiting their metamorphosis.     

Effect of starvation on biochemical composition and gametogenesis in the Pacific oyster <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea gigas</Emphasis>

The effects of starvation on biochemical composition and gametogenesis were investigated in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Histological analysis, combined with oocyte examination and measurements of protein, glycogen and lipid levels and RNA/DNA ratio from gonad, adductor muscle and mantle tissue of each sex were performed. In the starved groups, C. gigas showed gonad development, but the progress was delayed during the experiment. Glycogen was the first substrate used by C. gigas for dealing with lack of food. While glycogen was rapidly consumed, protein and lipid contents decreased gradually. A decrease in the RNA/DNA ratio in the starved groups in all the body components was found during starvation, illustrating that RNA/DNA ratio was a valid indicator of nutritional condition in C. gigas. A significant increase in water and ash contents and a corresponding decrease in condition index were observed in the starved groups, showing that the water and ash content and condition index were related to the usage of glycogen, lipid and protein reserves in body composition. During starvation, energy reserves were mobilized for survival and gonad development, but spawning was arrested. The information obtained in this study is useful for broodstock management in the Pacific oyster industry.     

Relationship between soak time and number of enmeshed animals in experimentally lost gill nets

In order to determine the effects of ghost fishing by lost gill nets, the relationship was examined between soak time and number of enmeshed animals in experimentally lost gill nets by using diving observations. Two experimental gill nets were set at 13 m depth in Tateyama Bay, Chiba Prefecture, Japan for approximately 200 days. One gill net was deployed in a small trough surrounded by artificial reefs, and the other was deployed on an adjacent open sandy bed. Twelve species of crustaceans, six species of gastropods, and five species of bony fish were enmeshed in the experimental gill nets. The number of enmeshed animals in the artificial reef gill net was substantially larger than that in the sandy bed gill net. The number of enmeshed animals in the experimental gill nets increased rapidly within one month after deployment, and then declined gradually showing fluctuations caused by the decrease in newly enmeshed animals, and the drop off from gill nets caused by the decomposition of dead animals. The decrease in the number of enmeshed animals was expressed by logarithmic equations, and based on these equations, the duration of capture function for the lost gill nets was calculated to be 284–561 days in the artificial reef gill net and 200 days in the sandy bed gill net. The duration of capture function for the lost gill nets for non-commercial by-catch species such as small crustaceans and gastropods was longer than for commercial species such as Japanese spiny lobster and bony fish.     

Universal PCR primers for ribosomal protein gene introns of fish

Human ribosomal protein (RP) gene sequences with respect to intron/exon structures and corresponding cDNA or genomic data of fish species were obtained from the GenBank database. Based on conserved exon sequences, 128 primer pairs for 41 genes were designed for exon-primed intron-crossing (EPIC) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In reference to the draft genome sequences of the Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis), 12 primer pairs expected to amplify introns of the bluefin tuna with lengths of 500–1000 bp were selected and applied to six distantly related fish species belonging to the Orders Clupeiformes, Tetraodontiformes, Pleuronectiformes, Perciformes, Scorpaeniformes, and Anguilliformes. PCR amplification was observed for at least four species in each primer pair, and all fragments were larger than those expected for intronless amplification. Single fragment amplification was observed for at least seven primer pairs per species. Fragment sizes of the bluefin tuna for nine primer pairs corresponded to those expected from the genomic data. Thus, our primer pairs are potentially applicable to a wide variety of fish species and serve as an initial step for isolating single-copy nuclear DNA sequences.