Monitoring and modelling total phosphorus contributions to a freshwater lake with cage‐aquaculture

A mass‐balance modelling approach combined with a sensitivity analysis was utilized to gain an improved understanding of the relative contributions of phosphorus (P) loading from various anthropogenic and non‐anthropogenic sources into Lake Wolsey (Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada), a Type 2 freshwater lake with a cage‐aquaculture facility. Total P loadings were estimated from eight sources (inlet exchange, non‐point sources, cage‐aquaculture facility, internal loading, groundwater seepage, atmospheric deposition, leaf litter and dwellings) and three sinks (outlet exchange, sedimentation and sportfishing). Results indicated that over the study period (May–November 2007) the non‐point sources were the leading contributor of total P to Lake Wolsey (1120 kg P) followed by the cage‐aquaculture facility loading (915 kg P), inlet exchange (539 kg P), groundwater inputs (305 kg P), dwellings (219 kg P), internal P recycling loads from the hypoxic hypolimnion (186 kg P), atmospheric deposition (79 kg P) and decomposing leaf litter (8.1 kg P). When comparing the loadings in this study, the sensitivity analysis showed that non‐point sources were the only significant input parameter of total P loading to the in‐lake concentrations of P in Lake Wolsey(P = 0.05). Information from this project will provide water quality managers with sound scientific information to make defencible decisions pertaining to policy and regulatory approaches for water quality risk assessment and management of cage‐aquaculture in Type 2 sites.     

Significant improvement of shrimp growth performance by growth hormone‐releasing peptide‐6 immersion treatments

Growth hormone‐releasing peptide‐6 (GHRP‐6) is one of the earliest developed synthetic peptidyl growth hormone secretagogue receptor agonists. These compounds mimic the effect of the endogenous ligand ghrelin. In vertebrates, ghrelin is a potent circulating orexigenic hormone with functional roles in controlling food intake, energy expenditure, adiposity, growth hormone secretion and immunity. Ghrelin has been studied mainly in vertebrates; thus, little is known about its role in invertebrates, including crustaceans. We first evaluated the effect of GHRP‐6 injection over feed intake in shrimp and its effects on shrimp growth when the peptide was administrated by successive immersion baths. GHRP‐6 increased feed intake, body weight and size, the number of rostral spines and gill branches, protein concentration and haemocyte number in treated shrimps. We also evaluated the peptide uptake and clearance in a pharmacokinetics, using [H³]GHRP‐6 administered to postlarvae. Given a limited exposure and efficient clearance of the peptide‐associated radioactivity from larvae, our findings suggested that GHRP‐6‐treated Litopenaeus vannamei can be consumed safely by humans after aquaculture applications. These results propose that GHRP‐6 could be an additional tool to study growth physiology in crustaceans and also a promising candidate for development into a new biotechnology product for improving shrimp growth and quality.     

Physicochemical and Structural Properties of Recovered Elastin from Jumbo Squid (Dosidicus gigas) By-Products

Physicochemical and structural properties of soluble jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) elastin recovered from skin by-products were evaluated. The molecular weight of isolated elastin was ~40 kDa with an isoelectric point (pI) between 9 and 10. Aspartic, glutamic, arginine, proline, glycine, and lysine amino acids were the most abundant in squid elastin, whereas the hydroxyproline absence, ~0.7% cysteine content, and the calculated 0.35 isoleucine/leucine ratio were used as purity index. Total and reactive sulfhydryl contents were similar (247.0 ± 5.1 vs 242.0 ± 7.5 μmol mg^?1 of protein, P ≥ 0.05) in purified squid elastin but surprisingly higher than previously reported in other elastins. On the other hand, the secondary structures of squid elastin analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were ~45% β-sheets, ~15% α-helices, ~10% β-turns, and ~30% undefined structures. In addition, squid elastin experienced glass transition at 82.01 ± 0.01ºC, denaturation temperature at 110.45 ± 0.64ºC, and aggregation at 197.5 ± 0.23ºC. In conclusion, the prevalence of charged amino acids and pI of squid elastin can facilitate its solubilization in hydrophilic systems, whereas the secondary structure profile and thermostability are desirable features in proteins used for biopolymer designs such as food biofilms or barrier systems.     

Relative efficiency of fungal intra‐ and extracellular phosphatases and phytase

A comparison of intra‐ and extracellular acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and phytase activity in six fungi is reported. A strong linear relationship between intra versus extracellular fungal acid phosphatase (R² = 0.94), alkaline phosphatase (R² = 0.96), and phytase (R² = 0.97) is observed. Three‐fourth of acid phosphatase were generally present inside the fungal cells and only 25 % were released extracellularly after a three weeks period. Phytase shows the reverse trend where thirty nine times higher extracellular phytase activity was noticed than present inside the fungal cells. The extracellular enzymes are found 60 % more efficient in the hydrolysis of phytin than their intracellular counterpart but they are at par in the hydrolysis of glycerophosphate. The results clearly demonstrated that phytase types of phosphatases mostly occur outside the fungal cells whereas most of the acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase are located inside the cells.<?show $6#>     

Micronutrient availability in soils of Northwest Bosnia and Herzegovina in relation to silage maize production

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most widely grown crop in Bosnia and Herzegovina especially in Northwest part of the country. Considering that, the maize is extremely sensitive to micronutrient deficiency the main aim of this study was to asses: (1) micronutrient availability in soil, (2) micronutrient status in silage maize; and (3) the relationship between micronutrient soil availability and maize plant concentration. Soil samples for micronutrient availability (n?=?112) were collected from 28 farms in 7 municipalities. Plant available micro- and macro- nutrients in soil were extracted using Mehlich-3, except plant available Se was extracted using 0.1M KH₂PO₄. Result showed that on average there was no significant difference between different soil types regarding their potential in plant available nutrients. P deficiency was present both, in soil and plants in whole region. Soil extractable P was ranging from 0.003–0.13?g?kg^?1 and total plant P was ranging from 0.79–4.95?g?kg^?1. Zinc deficiency was observed in two locations both in soil (0.71?mg?kg^?1; 0.79?mg?kg^?1) and plant (11.5?mg?kg^?1; 15.8?mg?kg^?1). Potential Se soil deficiency was observed on some locations, while Se plant status is not high enough to meet daily requirements of farm animals. Extractable soil nutrients could be used as relatively good predictor of potential soil and plant deficiencies, but soil nutrient interactions and climate conditions are highly effecting the plant uptake potential.     

Remarks on genetic diversity and relationship of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Punica protopunica</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">P. granatum</Emphasis> assessed by molecular analyses

Here, two Punica species, viz., P. protopunica Balf. fil., reported as native to Socotra, and P. granatum L., were compared for the first time. Analysis of one P. protopunica and eleven P. granatum accessions was performed using three molecular markers, i.e., sequence related amplified polymorphism (SRAP), target region amplification polymorphism (TRAP), and intron targeted amplified polymorphism (ITAP), along with analysis of pgWD40 sequences, a gene involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis. All markers revealed the relationship between the two species and placed them at 33% similarity. SRAP, TRAP, and ITAP generated a total of 299, 260, and 160 bands, respectively. Of these, 78, 74, and 41 bands were specific for P. protopunica, and 92, 85, and 57 bands, respectively, were shared between both species. Sequence analysis of pgWD40~870 bp amplicons exhibited 100% identity among P. granatum accessions and 98% identity to that of P. protopunica. Phylogenetic analysis of WD40 sequences from monocot and dicot species, including both Punica species confirmed the relation between P. protopunica and P. granatum, supporting earlier reports that P. protopunica could be an ancestral species of P. granatum. Furthermore, the genetic diversity among and within P. granatum accessions from Egypt (3), Mexico (5), and Yemen (3) was assessed. Molecular marker-based relationships among region-bulked accessions was approximately the same (~90% similarity), whereas the degree of genetic variation was altered within each region. Specific bands (alleles) for accessions of each region along with those shared among them were identified. Thus, these bands could be used for pomegranate genotyping and breeding programs.     

Phytosequestration of Carbon in Miscanthus × giganteus and Pinus sylvestris L. in Degraded Zinc Smelter and Post-Mining Soils

正Dear Editor,Pinus sylvestris L.is one of the most popular and predominant tree species in Central Europe and Scandinavia.Its cultivation depends on atmospheric conditions,soil fertility,use of fertilizers,and individual characteristics of the trees.Pinus sylvestris L.wood,roots,and needles are used for energy production.Pi-     

Internal Migration in Mexico: Consolidation of Urban–Urban Mobility, 2000–2015

Internal migration has been recognized as the major influence in terms of population redistribution across urban systems, but it is not a homogeneous phenomenon. Within the context of internal rural‐urban migration decline and the negative changes in migratory balances in the metropolitan area of Mexico City, the core of enquiry in this paper is the approach to growth and consolidation of an internal urban–urban migration system in the early twenty‐first century (2000–2015). This process has taken place through two main networks, among metropolitan areas not corresponding to the principal city and among intermediate cities. Internal migration is a complex process that involves both individual and spatial characteristics and which leads to spatially uneven development in the long term. Data from three censuses of the population of Mexico (2000, 2010, and 2015) show a transition to a more urban–urban migration pattern, with skilled migrants tending to have metropolitan and urban destinations, whereas less‐skilled migrants prefer rural and small urban destinations.     

Individual tree aboveground biomass for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Castanopsis indica</Emphasis> in the mid-hills of Nepal

Quantitative information of tree biomass is useful for management planning and monitoring of the changes in carbon stock in both forest and agroforestry systems. An estimate of carbon stored in these systems can be useful for developing climate change mitigation strategies. A precise estimate of forest biomass is also important for other issues ranging from industrial forestry practices to scientific purposes. The individual tree-based biomass models serve as fundamental tools for precise estimates of carbon stock of species of interest in forest and agroforestry systems. We developed individual tree aboveground biomass models for Castanopsis indica using thirty-six destructively sampled tree data covering a wide range of tree size, site quality, growth stage, stand density, and topographic characteristics. We used diameter at breast height (DBH) as a main predictor and height-to-DBH ratio (a measure of tree slenderness) and wood density (a measure of stiffness and cohesiveness of wood fibres) as covariate predictors in modelling. We, hereafter, termed the biomass models with former two predictors as first category models (density independent models) and the models with all three predictors as second category models (density dependent models). Among various functions evaluated, a simple power function of the form \(y_{i} = b_{1} x_{i}^{{b_{2} }}\), in each category, showed the best fits to our data. This formulation, in each category, described most of the biomass variations (\(R_{adj}^{2}\) > 0.98 and RMSE < 72.2) with no significant trend in the residuals. Since both density dependent and density independent models exhibit almost similar fit statistics and graphical features, one of them can be applied for desired accuracy, depending on the access of the input information required by the model. Our biomass models are site-specific, and their applications should therefore be limited to the growth stage, stand density, site quality, stand condition, and species distribution similar to those that formed the basis of this study. Further research is recommended to validate and verify our model using a larger dataset with a wider range of values for site quality, climatic and topographic characteristics, stand density, growth stage, and species distribution across Nepal.     

Effect of the Cooking Process on the Gelling Properties of Whole and Minced Jumbo Lump of Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus)

Commercially, crab meat is obtained by hand-picking after a cooking process, followed by pasteurizing or canning. Jumbo lump is one of the pieces of meat obtained from the blue crab. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the commercial cooking process (boiling and steaming) on the mechanical and functional properties of whole jumbo lump and the gels obtained from cooked and minced jumbo lump from blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). The gels were prepared combining the washing process and microbial transglutaminase. The boiling and steaming processes showed a different effect on the textural and color properties. Whole jumbo lump pieces cooked by immersion in boiling water showed a higher hardness value as compared to steamed jumbo lump pieces, suggesting a different internal structural. The cooking processes used in this study did not modify the water holding capacity, gelling capability, or color of the minced jumbo lump. The addition of microbial transglutaminase to washed minced jumbo lump improved the hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness of gels elaborated with boiled or steamed jumbo lump, which allowed the textural properties similar to those of the whole jumbo lump.