Variability of the Pacific North Equatorial Current and its implications on Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) larval migration

The zonal velocity produced by a Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)‐based Pacific Ocean circulation model was validated against in situ measurements along the 137°E longitude. The Pacific model successfully reproduced the position and the shape of the North Equatorial Current (NEC) as well as the latitude of maximum surface velocity in the NEC region (8–17°N). The flow field produced by the Pacific model was then used to conduct numerical Lagrangian experiments, in which passive particles were released along a transect (142.5°E, 12.5–17°N) that traverses the known Japanese eel spawning area, and the effects of NEC strength and bifurcation latitude on the particle advection in the northwest Pacific were studied. Our results suggest that, in the 20‐yr period (1993–2012), the variability of the currents alone can cause interannual variability of one order of magnitude in the Kuroshio Entrance (KE), the percentage of particles entering the Kuroshio, the range of which varies from 43% in 1997 to 6% in 2012. The yearly‐averaged KE is not sensitive to the NEC bifurcation latitude. Instead, it is controlled by the average zonal velocity of a fixed domain (125–143°E, 13.5–17°N) and related to a recently‐developed climate index, the Philippines–Taiwan Oscillation (PTO). During the positive phase of the PTO, the zonal velocity in the domain, hence the yearly‐averaged KE, increases, and the opposite is true in the negative phase of the PTO. Considering only the trajectories, diel vertical migrations (DVM) in the top 400 m do not significantly affect Japanese eel larval transport, as incorporating DVM schemes does not increase the KE.     

Selection of probiotic bacteria for use in shrimp larviculture

Three candidate probiotics, Bacillus foraminis, Bacillus cereus biovar toyoi and Bacillus fusiformis , were isolated from hydrogen-producing fermented solution and identified using 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Bacillus foraminis and B. cereus biovar toyoi exhibited strong antagonism against Streptococcus iniae and Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida in in vitro co-culture for competitive exclusion assay and then were conducted in the larviculture system of Penaeus monodon reared from zoea 1 to postlarva 1. The daily addition of B. cereus biovar toyoi resulted in significantly deleterious effects on survival ( P <0.01) whereas the daily addition of B. fusiformis showed highest survival rate (88.7±0.7%) but no statistically significant difference from control (73.3±12.1%). Bacillus fusiformis was continuously applied in the larviculture system of Litopenaeus vannamei . Administration of B. fusiformis significantly increased survival ( P <0.01) in both treatments added daily (87.9±1.7%) and every other day (54.7±1.2%), respectively, at a concentration of 10⁵ CFU mL⁻¹ over control (41.2±1.3%).     

Engulfed pathogen-induced apoptosis in haemocytes of giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Haemocytes of the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, were investigated for the induction of apoptosis after phagocytosis of pathogenic yeasts, bacteria and non-pathogenic latex beads in vitro. Isolated haemocytes of M. rosenbergii were cultured at a ratio of 1:50 haemocytes to pathogen with the yeast Debaryomyces hansenii, the bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila or Enterococcus faecium, or with latex beads at 25 degrees C for 2 h, followed by washing to remove free particles. At least 200 haemocytes were counted to determine the phagocytosis rate, and the results showed that haemocytes engulfed latex beads at a higher rate than the aquatic pathogens. By transmission electron microscopy, the yeast- or bacterium-engulfing haemocytes displayed morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis, including formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles, chromatin condensation and fragmentation of nuclei. This pathogen-induced apoptosis was further confirmed by DNA laddering and TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxy-UTP nick-end-labelling) assays. Neither haemocytes treated with latex beads nor uninfected haemocytes (control group) showed signs of apoptosis after 48 h in culture.     

The influence of carboxymethylcellulose on growth, digestion, gastric emptying time and body composition of tilapia

Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was incorporated into each of two experimental diets at one of four levels (2, 6, 10 and 14%). Each of the eight diets was fed to male tilapia hybrids (Oreochromis niloticus × O. aureus) for 9 weeks. The experiment was conducted in a closed, filtered and recirculated rearing system. The fish were fed the appropriate diets at a rate of 3% of body weight per day, 2 times a day, 6 days a week. The water temperature was maintained at 26°C. Tilapia fed diets containing, 6, 10 and 14% CMC showed significantly poorer (P<0.05) feed conversion rates than fish fed diets containing 2% CMC. The dry matter digestion coefficients of the diets did not differ significantly but generally declined as CMC level increased. Gastric emptying times decreased as the level of inclusion of CMC in the diets increased. Crude protein content and ash content of fish were similar in all dietary groups. Fish fed diets containing 6, 10 and 14% CMC had significantly lower (P<0.05) lipid content than fish fed diets with 2% CMC.     

An insulin-stimulated protein kinase similar to yeast kinases involved in cell cycle control

A protein kinase characterized by its ability to phosphorylate microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP2), is thought to be an early intermediate in an insulin-stimulated phosphorylation cascade and in a variety of other mammalian cell responses to extracellular signals. A complementary DNA that encodes this protein serine-threonine kinase has been cloned, and the protein designated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1). ERK1 has striking similarity to two protein kinases, KSS1 and FUS3, from yeast. The yeast kinases function in an antagonistic manner to regulate the cell cycle in response to mating factors. Thus, ERK1 and the two yeast kinases constitute a family of evolutionarily conserved enzymes involved in regulating the response of eukaryotic cells to extracellular signals.     

Pancreatic carboxypeptidases: activities in zinc-deficient rats

Zinc deficiency in rats caused decrease in the activity of pancreatic carboxypeptidase A, but it had no effect on pancreatic carboxypepti dase B and liver alcohol dehydrogenase. The observed reduction of enzymic activity may be related to the poor utilization of feed that occurs in zincdeficient rats.     

仙人掌提取物对吮乳仔猪生产性能影响

仙人掌为仙人掌科仙人掌属植物（Opuntia SPP．）,主要分布在南美、非洲,我国及东南亚和南亚等热带和亚热带地区,     

Antitumor activity of capsaicin on human colon cancer cells in vitro and colo 205 tumor xenografts in vivo

Capsaicin was reported to inhibit cancer cell growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antitumor potential of capsaicin by studying antitumor activity in vitro as well as in vivo. The in vitro studies are to examine the effects of capsaicin on human colon cancer colo 205 cells after exposure to capsaicin. The results showed that capsaicin induced cytotoxic effects in a time- and dose-dependent manner and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca(2+) but decreased the level of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ(m)) in colo 205 cells. Data from Western blotting analysis indicated that the levels of Fas, cytochrome c, and caspases were increased, leading to cell apoptosis. Capsaicin decreased the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 and increased the levels of pro-apoptotic proteins such as Bax. Capsaicin-induced apoptosis in colo 205 cells was also done through the activations of caspase-8, -9 and -3. In vivo studies in immunodeficient nu/nu mice bearing colo 205 tumor xenografts showed that capsaicin effectively inhibited tumor growth. The potent in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities of capsaicin suggest that capsaicin might be developed for the treatment of human colon cancer.