Estimated distribution and movement of hairtail Trichiurus lepturus in the Aru Sea, based on the logbook records of trawlers

SUMMARY: The distribution and movement of the hairtail Trichiurus lepturus stock in the Aru Sea were investigated using logbook data from four Taiwanese commercial otter trawlers. Fluctuations in population size, population density index and the distribution of catch per unit effort (CPUE) and fishing effort are discussed. The CPUE data were standardized by using the generalized linear model (GLM) in which fishing month, fishing area and size category of the hairtail were taken into account. The fishing season could be divided into three episodes: aggregation between March and April, dispersion between May and June, and aggregation again between July and December. A seasonal two-peak distribution of the population size of hairtail reflects the aggregation–dispersion pattern. The first peak in May–June can be explained in terms of the hairtails' overwintering migration. The second peak in October–December is likely to be the result of spawning aggregation.     

Free amino acid content in leaf and root tissues of clubroot-resistant and clubroot-susceptible cabbages

Summary Leaf and root tissues of clubroot-resistant cabbage line 8–41 and cultivar Badger Shipper, and clubroot-susceptible cultivars Penn State Ballhead and Golden Acre were analysed for free amino acid content. There was no relationship between total free amino acid content and susceptibility to the disease. Alanine and asparagine contents were higher in the leaf tissue in resistant cabbage. Tyrosine content appeared to be higher in the root tissue of the resistant plants than that of susceptible ones.     

Entropy and kriging approach to rainfall network design

Hydrological data are the basic ingredients for planning, constructing, and operating of hydraulic structures. A well-designed rainfall network can accurately provide and reflect the information of rainfall in a catchment. However, in past studies, the required number and optimal location of rain gauge stations have yet to produce a satisfactory result. A more accurate design is required. Hence, in this study, a proposed model composed of kriging and entropy with probability distribution function is introduced to relocate the rainfall network and to obtain the optimal design with the minimum number of rain gauges. The ordinary kriging is used to generate rainfall data of potential locations where rain gauge stations may be installed. The information entropy based on probability is used to measure the uncertainty of rainfall distribution. The probability distribution function will be introduced to fit the statistical characteristics of data of the rain gauges. By calculating the joint entropy and the transferable information, the relocated rain gauges are prioritized and the minimum number and location of the rain gauges in the catchment can be obtained to construct the optimal rainfall network to replace the existing rainfall network.     

內蒙及察北蒙古羊杂交改良研究报告第三号——五一牧場杂交兩代結果

五一牧場位于察哈尔盟(現已併入錫林郭勒盟)的东南部,东經116°,北續48°,海拔1,500公尺以上,面积約有60,000公頃。場境内有閃电河、黑风河和羊腸子河。全場有放牧地44,944公頃,打草地3,000公頃,耕地面积約3,000公頃。根据多倫气象站1955年測定的气象材料、年平均温度1.76℃,最高温度35.4℃,最低温度-33.4℃,冬季时間漫長,全年有五个月的平均温度在零下。年降水量429.5毫米,蒸发量1,507.8毫米,风向多为西北风,全年无霜期105天。适于当地种植的作物有燕麦、莜麦、豌豆、粟、蕎麦和馬鈴薯等。該場屬于干旱草原,按自然情况划分牧場。冬季春季牧場为沙窩地区,屬砂質土壤。夏季牧場为平原地区,屬粘質壤土,带硷性,牧草以禾本科为最多。平原地区多为硷草,沙窩地区为沙丘草,一般草高40厘米,每公頃产下草約750公斤。     

Transfer of resistance to race 2 of Plasmodiophora Brassicae from Brassica napus to cabbage (B. oleracea var. Capitata). I. Interspecific hybridization between B. napus and B. oleracea var. Capitata

Summary Interspecific hybridization between Brassica napus L. (2n=38, a₁a₁c₁c₁) and B. oleracea var. capitata L. (2x- and 4x-cabbage; 2n=2x=18, cc and 2n=4x=36, cccc) was carried out for the purpose of transferring clubroot disease resistance from the amphidiploid species to cabbage. Nineteen hybrids with three different chromosome levels (2n=28, a₁c₁c; 2n=37, a₁c₁cc and 2n=55, a₁c₁cccc) were obtained. The F₁ plants were mostly intermediate between the two parents but as the number of c genomes in the hybrids increased, the more closely the hybrids resembled the cabbage parent. All F₁ hybrids were resistant when tested against race 2 of Plasmodiophora brassicae wor. The complete dominance of resistance over susceptibility suggested that the gene(s) controlling resistance to this particular race of the clubroot pathogen is probably located on a chromosome of the a genome in Brassica.Contribution No. J654.     

Flexibilins A–C,New Cembrane-Type Diterpenoids from the Formosan Soft Coral,Sinularia flexibilis

Three new cembrane-type diterpenoids, flexibilins A–C (1–3), along with a known cembrane, (−)-sandensolide (4), were isolated from the soft coral, Sinularia flexibilis. The structures of cembranes 1–4 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. The structure of 4, including its absolute stereochemistry, was further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Cembrane 2 displayed a moderate inhibitory effect on the release of elastase by human neutrophils.     

Methylation increases sodium transport into A6 apical membrane vesicles: possible mode of aldosterone action

When isolated apical membrane vesicles prepared from cultured A6 epithelia were incubated in vitro with the methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine, the control rate of amiloride-inhibitable sodium transport was doubled. The methylation inhibitors 3-deazaadenosine and S-adenosyl homocysteine returned the S-adenosyl-methionine-stimulated sodium transport to control levels. Neither these agents nor adenosine affected sodium transport into control vesicles. In vesicles incubated with S-adenosyl-[3H-methyl]methionine, both membrane phospholipids and proteins were labeled, and this labeling was inhibited by deazaadenosine. In vesicles prepared from A6 cells treated with aldosterone, sodium transport was twice the control value and S-adenosylmethionine did not cause any further stimulation of transport. In those vesicles, both lipid and protein methylation were increased. These results suggest that methylation, which increases the rate of amiloride-sensitive sodium transport is involved in the action of aldosterone at the apical membrane level in epithelia.     

Technical efficiency analysis of milkfish (Chanos chanos) production in Taiwan—an application of the stochastic frontier production function

Milkfish has been farmed in Taiwan for over 300 years. Faced with limited land resources, a labor shortage, decreasing demand, and growth of imported fisheries products, the industry is looking at the problem of how to maintain a sustainable and efficient production. This study specifies a stochastic production frontier function to estimate potential milkfish farm output and efficiency by using 1997–1999 data from a survey of 433 aquaculture milkfish farms. Both Translog and Cobb–Douglas frontier production models are estimated using the maximum likelihood estimation method. Empirical results show that the Translog stochastic production function model fits the data better and that milkfish farming in Taiwan exhibits diminishing returns to scale. We also compare estimated maximum potential milkfish production per hectare under various pond conditions to provide managers with information about how to boost efficiency. In addition, this study estimates substitution elasticities and complementarity of input factors for milkfish farms to provide helpful information for milkfish farmers on how to reallocate input resources and help raise milkfish productivity through improvements in technical efficiency.