A Chemoautotrophically Based Cave Ecosystem

Microbial mats discovered in a ground-water ecosystem in southern Romania contain chemoautotrophic bacteria that fix inorganic carbon, using hydrogen sulfide as an energy source. Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes showed that this chemoautotrophic production is the food base for 48 species of cave-adapted terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, 33 of which are endemic to this ecosystem. This is the only cave ecosystem known to be supported by in situ autotrophic production, and it contains the only terrestrial community known to be chemoautotrophically based.     

Production of Biscuit from Chinese Sturgeon Fish Fillet Powder (Acipeneser sinensis): A Snack Food for Children

ABSTRACT

Malnutrition in children is a current global burden. A common snack for children is biscuits prepared from cereals. However, these types of biscuits have low protein content. Therefore, producing healthier biscuits enriched with essential amino acids (EAAs) and other micronutrients is of great interest to researchers and manufacturers. In this study, biscuits produced from low gluten wheat flour fortified with sturgeon fillet powder (SFP) in various mixing ratios (100:0, 95:5, 93:7, and 90:10, respectively) were investigated. The results revealed that the nutritional and proximate composition of biscuits were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) improved: moisture (6.77 ± 0.06–7.65 ± 0.06), protein (13.23 ± 0.35–17.12 ± 0.02), fat (15.57 ± 0.18–15.85 ± 0.25), ash (0.84 ± 0.07–0.92 ± 0.06), spread ratio (14.0 ± 0.92–14.33 ± 0.21), and hardness (2,057.90 ± 28.33–3,089.02 ± 51.53). Total amino acids were 6.91, 9.34, 10.32, and 10.58; and EAAs were 2.43, 3.97, 4.48, and 4.22 g/100 g for 0%, 5%, 7%, and 10% SFP, respectively. Leucine was the major amino acid with 5% and 10% SFP, while methionine was the major amino acid with 7% SFP. Fungal counts were not observed, and quality indices were below the maximum acceptable limits in the products. Biscuits supplemented with 7% SFP showed the highest sensory evaluation score. Overall, the inclusion of 7% SFP could produce protein enriched cereal-based fortified biscuits with acceptable sensory and quality attributes and ultimately could insure effective fish utilization and solve malnutrition problems.     

Evaluation of limb autotomy as a promising strategy to improve production performances of mud crab (Scylla olivacea) in the soft‐shell farming system

Soft‐shell crab, a newly moulted crab having non‐calcified and hydrated soft exoskeleton, farming has been increasing tremendously in recent years throughout the world due to its high market price and consumer preferences. However, high aggressiveness and cannibalistic behaviour of mud crab limit its culture to an individual chamber system which ultimately makes the soft‐shell mud crab farming space and labour‐intensive. Therefore, the aim of this study was to improve the efficiency of soft‐shell crab production by autotomy of the claw and/or walking legs to reduce the moulting duration and intensify the culture system through double stocking in the existing individual chamber culture system. To achieve our objectives, a series of experiment were conducted at both indoor and on‐farm levels by removing the claw and/or walking legs of Scylla olivacea for two consecutive moulting cycles. Results showed that both claw ablation significantly (p < .01) shortened the moulting duration and increased the carapace width, weight gain, specific growth rate, feeding efficiency and yield parameter compared to the non‐ablated crabs more prominently at 1st moulting than the 2nd moulting in both indoor and on‐farm trials. Ablation of all walking legs while keeping the claw intact did not significantly influence (p > .05) the moulting duration and carapace width, but significantly (p < .01) improved the specific growth rate, weight gain, feeding efficiency and yield parameters at 1st moulting compared to the non‐ablation and unilateral three walking leg ablation groups. However, ablation of all appendages (both claw and walking legs) showed significant (p < .01) improvements of carapace width, weight gain, specific growth rate, feeding efficiency and yield parameters, and shortened the moulting duration up to 23 days from 34 days during 1st moulting and up to 27 days from 40 days at 2nd moulting. The survivals of different autotomized mud crabs were statistically non‐significant (p > .05) to the non‐autotomized crabs in various indoor and on‐farm trials. Besides improving the production performances, ablation of bilateral claw and all appendages allowed to double the stocking density in the existing individual chamber‐based soft‐shell crab farming that enhanced the production about threefold higher than the existing individual chamber‐based culture system. Finally, our results suggest that autotomy could be a promising technology for the commercial farming of soft‐shell mud crab in near future.     

伊朗里海森林山坡上生长的欧洲鹅耳根系分布和抗张强度研究

对生长在伊朗北部丘陵地带的8株欧洲鹅耳的根面积比率和根系拉伸强度进行了测定,评估了欧洲鹅耳根系生物力学特性。应用剖面挖掘法测得土层深度为0．1米的样品根面积比率。共用了123份根样品分析根系拉伸强度。结果表明,根面积比率随土层深度增加而减小,变化规律遵从幂函数;上坡面和下坡面根面积比率无统计差别。根系可达到的最大土层深度为0．75米,但是最大根面积比率存在于土层深度0．1米内。下坡面最小和最大根面积比率分别为0．004％和6．431％;而上坡面的根面积比率分别为0．004％和3．995％。上、下坡面根数无显著差异,而且90％以上的根系深入到50-60厘米的土层中。Spearman双变量相关性分析结果表明,根面积比率与根数无显著关系。平均根拉伸强度为31．51&#177;1．05MPa,且根系直径越粗根拉伸强度越小,遵从幂函数变化。图5表1参38。     

Roles of bootstrap resampling,measure of central tendency,and method for calculating thermal units when developing phenology models for pest management

The successful development of phenology models from field studies depends on many factors, some of which are entirely under the control of pest managers. For example, one such factor is the choice of method for calculating thermal units. In this study, we have demonstrated that four methods for calculating thermal units provided for acceptable predictions of one phenological event of one insect species, while another method for calculating thermal units did not. The measure of central tendency (mean or median) that is used to estimate lower developmental temperatures and required thermal summations is another factor that pest managers can control when developing phenology models from field studies. Here, we show that predictions that were made when using phenology models based on median lower developmental temperatures and median required thermal summations were superior to predictions that were made when using phenology models based on mean lower developmental temperatures and mean required thermal summations. The use of bootstrap vs. non-bootstrap estimates of lower developmental temperatures and required thermal summations is yet another factor that pest managers can control when developing phenology models from field studies. In this study, we found that calculating and using bootstrap estimates of lower developmental temperatures and required thermal summations in phenology models did not improve the predictions of one phenological event for one insect species. The implications of these and other findings are discussed.     

Environmental and genotypic effects on bulb development in onion – a review

Environmental and genetic factors influence growth and bulb development of onions by affecting their physiology. Photoperiod plays critical a role in bulb development and determines the suitability of a cultivar for a particular region. Long days and high temperatures promote onion bulbing. Bulbing is regulated more by temperature than photoperiod, as determined by growing degree days. Far-red light promotes bulbing most effectively. High-temperature storage of sets (above 20–25°C) results in increased total bulb yields, while very high temperature (25.5–31°C) or temperature below 0°C depresses yield. Plant density has an impact on bulb size: the higher the plant density the smaller the bulb size. Onion is more sensitive to water stress during bulb formation and enlargement than during the vegetative stage. Nitrogen improves bulb development, but too much nitrogen promotes excessive vegetative growth and delays maturity. Growth hormones (gibberellins and ethrel) promote the growth and development of bulbs. Flowering and bulb formation in onion is regulated by different (Flowering Locus T) FT genes. Two antagonistic FT-like genes regulate bulb formation. AcFT1 promotes bulb formation, while AcFT4 prevents AcFT1 up-regulation and inhibits bulbing. There is a need to link our research with the genetics and physiology of onions, to enhance bulb yield.     

Effect of set-size and storage temperature on bolting,bulbing and seed yield in two onion cultivars

The effects of three set-sizes (12.5, 17.5 and 22.5 mm in diameter) and seven storage temperatures (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C) on bolting, bulbing and seed yield in two onion (Allium cepa L.) cultivars ‘Hygro’ and ‘Delta’ were investigated. The incidence of bolting increased linearly with set-size and curvi-linearly with decreasing storage temperature. Time to inflorescence emergence and floret opening showed a curvi-linear response to storage temperature with the earliest inflorescence emergence and floret opening occurring at 5 °C and the latest at 30 °C for ‘Hygro’ and at 25 °C for ‘Delta’. Seed yield per umbel also showed a curvi-linear response to storage temperature with the lowest seed yield occurring at 30 °C for ‘Hygro’ and at 25 °C for ‘Delta’ and the highest seed yield at 5 °C. For a seed crop, storage of large sets (22.5 mm) of these cultivars at 5 °C for 120 days appeared to be optimum with 5–12% higher seed yield per umbel than that of 90 days storage. Bulb yield showed a curvi-linear response to storage temperature with the highest bulb yield occurring at 25 °C and the lowest at 5 °C.     

Climate change,migration and human rights in Bangladesh: Perspectives on governance

Bangladesh experiences some of the most severe impacts of climate change, with impacts already evident in the coastal regions. Recent data shows that around 32% of the coastal communities in Bangladesh are affected by climate‐induced hazards each year. In 2011, 64% among them were displaced locally and 27% were displaced to other locations in Bangladesh. It requires comprehensive and viable polices and planning to meet the challenges of managing a large number of displaced people. In this context, this paper reviews and investigates the effectiveness of current governance frameworks to address migration of affected communities. It argues that migration can be an effective way to cope with environmental shocks. Finally, it discusses policy imperatives for effective protection of people displaced by climate risks with a special reference to adopting a human rights‐based approach in law and policy making for climate‐induced migration.     

The Seismic Structure of the Sun

Global Oscillation Network Group data reveal that the internal structure of the sun can be well represented by a calibrated standard model. However, immediately beneath the convection zone and at the edge of the energy-generating core, the sound-speed variation is somewhat smoother in the sun than it is in the model. This could be a consequence of chemical inhomogeneity that is too severe in the model, perhaps owing to inaccurate modeling of gravitational settling or to neglected macroscopic motion that may be present in the sun. Accurate knowledge of the sun's structure enables inferences to be made about the physics that controls the sun; for example, through the opacity, the equation of state, or wave motion. Those inferences can then be used elsewhere in astrophysics.     

A tunable kondo effect in quantum dots

A tunable Kondo effect has been realized in small quantum dots. A dot can be switched from a Kondo system to a non-Kondo system as the number of electrons on the dot is changed from odd to even. The Kondo temperature can be tuned by means of a gate voltage as a single-particle energy state nears the Fermi energy. Measurements of the temperature and magnetic field dependence of a Coulomb-blockaded dot show good agreement with predictions of both equilibrium and nonequilibrium Kondo effects.