Measuring density effects on growth and survival of two size classes of juvenile sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) held in sea‐based holding systems and impacts on holding system design and management

Assessing density in intensive sea urchin culture systems by measuring the percentage coverage of available surface area is an effective means of calculating the available space within a holding system, the proximity of the animals in the system to each other and the probable effects of the stocking density. The results of this study show that density plays a critical role in regard to both somatic growth (increase in test diameter measured in millimetres) as well as mortality of juvenile sea urchins ranging in size from 5 mm to 26 mm test diameter (the size range tested in the current experiments). These effects appear to be greater for smaller urchins. The critical percentage coverage densities are in the order of 50%‐60% coverage for juvenile sea urchins, and the authors advise farmers growing Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis to maintain stocking densities below this point and to reduce the stocking densities as and when stocks reach these critical density points. Percentage cover must be constantly monitored as the results from this study indicate that the growth rates of juvenile urchins can alter percentage coverage rapidly and reductions in density may be required as frequently as every 3‐4 months at the early juvenile stage. Holding system design should take these factors into account and incorporate a method of rapidly reducing stocking densities with minimal stress and handling of sea urchin stocks.     

Comanagement for aquaculture: Suggestions from a comparative study between two major production areas of milkfish in the Philippines

ABSTRACT

This study examined if, and how, comanagement is effective in controlling aquaculture industry in the municipalities of Anda and Bolinao in the province of Pangasinan, in the Philippines, the locations of two major production areas of milkfish (Chanos chanos) in the country. Institutional and community analyses conducted in these study sites revealed a unique hierarchy of resource users, as well as unique social and economic problems in aquaculture, distinct from those of capture fishery. It was also indicated that comanagement is seen as a solution for essential practices to be enforced practically and sustainably for the management of this industry. To improve aquaculture governance, it is desired that the comanagement scheme shall include not only the governments and fishers but also business operators who often have large capital and a high degree of power.     

Impacts of seasonal air and soil temperatures on photosynthesis in Scots pine trees

Seasonal courses of light-saturated rate of net photosynthesis (A360) and stomatal conductance (gs) were examined in detached 1-year-old needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from early April to mid-November. To evaluate the effects of soil frost and low soil temperatures on gas exchange, the extent and duration of soil frost, as well as the onset of soil warming, were manipulated in the field. During spring, early summer and autumn, the patterns of A360 and gs in needles from the control and warm-soil plots were generally strongly related to daily mean air temperatures and the frequency of severe frost. The warm-soil treatment had little effect on gas exchange, although mean soil temperature in the warm-soil plot was 3.8 degrees C higher than in the control plot during spring and summer, indicating that A360 and gs in needles from control trees were not limited by low soil temperature alone. In contrast, prolonged exposure to soil temperatures slightly above 0 degrees C severely restricted recovery of A360 and especially gs in needles from the cold-soil treatment during spring and early summer; however, full recovery of both A360 and gs occurred in late summer. We conclude that inhibition of A360 by low soil temperatures is related to both stomatal closure and effects on the biochemistry of photosynthesis, the relative importance of which appeared to vary during spring and early summer. During the autumn, soil temperatures as low as 8 degrees C did not affect either A360 or gs.     

Recovery of photosynthetic capacity in Scots pine: a model analysis of forest plots with contrasting soil temperature

Both aboveground and belowground climate affects net primary production (NNP) and forest growth. Little is known about how above and belowground factors interact. The BIOMASS-model was tested to simulate photosynthetic recovery over a wide range of soil temperatures created by snow cover manipulations on tree-scale plots in a 20-year-old Scots pine stand in northern Sweden. The differences in timing of soil warming between the plots covered a span of two months. Carbon assimilation in needles, sap flow, needle water potential and climatic parameters were measured in the field. The simulations revealed that an early start of soil warming gave a relatively early photosynthetic recovery and a 7.5% increase of NPP. Late soil warming delayed the photosynthetic recovery and reduced the NPP by 13.7%. This indicated that soil temperature needed to be accounted for, as well as air temperature, when analysing photosynthetic recovery and NPP in boreal environment. The effects of differences in soil temperature were reflected in the simulated photosynthetic recovery. The model did not fully capture the delay of photosynthetic recovery caused by a late soil warming. It was possible to integrate the complexity of the soil climate effects into a threshold date for soil thaw, using sapflow measurements together with information about air temperature and a day degree sum, as long as water availability was not limiting water uptake by roots. Although a more realistic mechanism than that currently in BIOMASS is desirable as climate change shifts the typical patterns of interplay between air and soil temperature dynamics.     

Silymarin and its components scavenge phenylglyoxylic ketyl radicals

The antioxidant properties of silymarin and its flavanolignan components (silybin, silychristin and silydianin) were tested. Silymarin, silychristin and silydianin exhibit relatively good antioxidant effectiveness against phenylglyoxylic ketyl radicals and DPPH. The most effective scavengers of phenylglyoxylic ketyl radicals were silymarin and silychristin whereas silydianin was ca. 5-times less active than the first two compounds whereas silybin was ineffective. The scavenging properties of the studied compounds against DPPH radicals were in the same sequence: silymarin>silychristin>silydianin>silybin.     

Amorphous Aluminum Hydroxide Control on Sulfate and Phosphate in Sediment-Solution Systems

We experimentally determined the adsorption characteristics of natural, freshly precipitated Al(OH)₃ for SO₄ and PO₄. The fresh Al precipitate occurred in stream sediment of Jachymov Stream (Czech Republic). The Al-rich sediment strongly adsorbed added PO₄ prior to acidification experiment; this sorbed PO₄ was released only after substantial dissolution of the sediment, at pH?<?3.67. Sorption of P by Al(OH)₃ appears to be an important control on dissolved PO₄ concentration in surface waters, unless there is a large excess of PO₄. Acidification of the sediment-solution system caused protonation of the sediment surface, thereby increasing the adsorption capacity for SO₄. Maximum SO₄ adsorption occurred at pH 4.2, below which dissolution of the sediment offset the increasing anion adsorption capacity, and formation of AISO₄ ⁺ inhibited the increasing SO₄ adsorption capacity. This research demonstrates that there are important pH thresholds for anion adsorption in freshwaters below which dissolution of the Al(OH)₃ substrate reduces total capacity for anion adsorption. In freshwaters, with sufficient concentrations of suspended Al(OH)₃, or in Al(OH)₃-rich sediment, PO₄ mobility will be severely restricted. Suspended Al(OH)₃ in acidified surface waters cannot strongly influence SO₄ concentrations because of the considerably higher total SO₄ concentrations compared to the available surface area.     

Levels of Avenanthramides and Activity of Hydroxycinnamoyl‐CoA:Hydroxyanthranilate N‐Hydroxycinnamoyl Transferase (HHT) in Steeped or Germinated Oat Samples

Concentrations of avenanthramides and activity of the biosynthetic enzyme hydroxycinnamoyl‐Co A:hydroxyanthranilate N‐hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HHT) were analyzed in dry or, steeped nonmilled or milled, non‐heat‐treated (raw) or heat‐treated oat samples (Avena sativa L.). Increased avenanthramide concentrations were found when intact raw groats were steeped. The increase was time‐ and temperaturedependent and maximal after 10 hr of steeping at 20°C. Continuous germination in air, after steeping, only contributed to a further increase in avenanthramides when steeping times were shorter than 10 hr. Concentrations of avenanthramides and HHT activity were positively correlated during steeping of intact groats at 8 and 20°C. The increase in avenanthramides was suggested to be due to de novo synthesis and a whole grain structure seemed to be required as no increase was found when groats were milled before steeping. Avenanthramide levels also increased when heat‐treated samples, lacking HHT activity, were steeped. This increase may be due to release of bound forms, possibly formed during the preceding heat treatment.     

Methionine oxidation enhances κ-casein amyloid fibril formation

The effects of protein oxidation, for example of methionine residues, are linked to many diseases, including those of protein misfolding, such as Alzheimer's disease. Protein misfolding diseases are characterized by the accumulation of insoluble proteinaceous aggregates comprised mainly of amyloid fibrils. Amyloid-containing bodies known as corpora amylacea (CA) are also found in mammary secretory tissue, where their presence slows milk flow. The major milk protein κ-casein readily forms amyloid fibrils under physiological conditions. Milk exists in an extracellular oxidizing environment. Accordingly, the two methionine residues in κ-casein (Met(95) and Met(106)) were selectively oxidized and the effects on the fibril-forming propensity, cellular toxicity, chaperone ability, and structure of κ-casein were determined. Oxidation resulted in an increase in the rate of fibril formation and a greater level of cellular toxicity. β-Casein, which inhibits κ-casein fibril formation in vitro, was less effective at suppressing fibril formation of oxidized κ-casein. The ability of κ-casein to prevent the amorphous aggregation of target proteins was slightly enhanced upon methionine oxidation, which may arise from the protein's greater exposed surface hydrophobicity. No significant changes to κ-casein's intrinsically disordered structure occurred upon oxidation. The enhanced rate of fibril formation of oxidized κ-casein, coupled with the reduced chaperone ability of β-casein to prevent this aggregation, may affect casein-casein interaction within the casein micelle and thereby promote κ-casein aggregation and contribute to the formation of CA.     

Thermal denaturation of myofibrillar proteins of striated and smooth adductor muscles of scallop (Zygochlamys patagonica). A differential scanning calorimetric study

Denaturation of proteins from striated and smooth muscles of scallop (Zygochlamys patagonica) was studied with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) by monitoring maximum temperatures of transition and denaturation enthalpies. DSC thermograms of both striated and smooth whole muscles showed two transitions: Tmax 55.0, 79.2 degrees C; and Tmax 54.7, 78.7 degrees C, respectively. The DSC thermograms of myofibrils and actomyosin were similar to those corresponding to their respective whole muscles. As pH and ionic strength increased, the thermal stability of whole muscles decreased. The pH increase (5.0-8.0) significantly (p < 0.01) decreased the denaturation enthalpies (deltaH total, deltaH peakI, and deltaH peakII) of whole striated muscles. A significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the deltaH total and the deltaH peakI was also observed in DSC thermograms of smooth muscles at pH 8.0. Denaturation enthalpies (deltaH total and deltaH peakI) significantly decreased (p < 0.01) when the ionic strength increased from 0.05 to 0.5 in both types of muscles. Striated muscles were more affected than smooth muscles by changes in the chemical environment.