Distended, water-filled stomach in seawater farmed rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), provoked experimentally by osmoregulatory stress

The present study evaluates if abdominal dis-tension caused by a water-filled stomach in seawater farmed rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), and Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., could be provoked experimentally by live chilling in sea water (0.5 °C). Fifty rainbow trout and 50 salmon were visually classified, either as normal or suffering from the condition. Prior to chilling, no rainbow trout or salmon suffered from a water-filled stomach. During chilling, 25% of the rainbow trout and 2.5% of the salmon developed water-filled stomach. Affected rainbow trout had significantly higher blood plasma osmolality and significantly lower body weight than normal trout. The frequency of trout with a water-filled stomach increased significantly with increasing chilling time and increasing plasma osmolality. The regression coefficients revealed that the proportion of affected rainbow trout in-creased by 0.82% h⁻¹ of chilling and by 0.46% per unit increase in mosmol L^−1. The present study revealed that abdominal distension in seawater farmed rainbow trout was far more severe than in Atlantic salmon and could be provoked experimentally by osmoregulatory stress. This is consistent with the observation that water-filled stomach appear only occasionally in seawater farmed Atlantic salmon.     

Genetic and morphological divergences between wild and captive‐bred populations of Salmo trutta abanticus

Salmo trutta abanticus is a non‐anadromous trout species native to Lake Abant and Seven Lakes in Turkey. A restocking programme by captive breeding was initiated in 1999 to support S. trutta abanticus population. Reared 2‐year‐old juveniles from randomly caught wild parental individuals in Maçka breeding farm were introduced into Lake Abant. We aimed to compare genetic and morphological divergences between wild‐ and captive‐bred populations using seven microsatellite loci and geometric morphometric measurements. A significant genetic and morphological divergences were detected between all population in F_st and canonical variate analysis based on geometric morphometric with 10 homolog landmark. Eighty‐six microsatellites alleles were recorded across loci. Number of private alleles, observed alleles and observed heterozygosity are statistically significant higher in Maçka captive‐bred population than Lake Abant and Seven Lakes populations. Of 42 tests, three departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium were detected in all populations after Bonferroni correction. Two pairs of loci (Ssa85 – Str73 and Str73‐Str543) in Maçka, one pairs of loci (Ssa85‐Str73) in Abant and two pairs of loci (Ssa85‐Str60 and Str73‐Str543) in Seven Lakes populations show linkage disequilibrium. Population structure analysed with Structure software showed three genetic groups (?K = 3) in our studied populations. Relatedness estimates show higher mean relatedness values (r = 0.220 ± 0.230) for Maçka captive‐breed population than wild populations of Abant Lake and Seven Lakes (r = 0.140 ± 0.210 and r = 0.170 ± 0.200 respectively).     

High gene flow in two migratory Neotropical fish species,Salminus franciscanus and Brycon orthotaenia,and implications for conservation aquaculture

1. Two migratory and endangered freshwater fish species, Salminus franciscanus and Brycon orthotaenia, are endemic to one of the most important basins for hydropower capacity in South America. These two fish are target species of conservation aquaculture programmes along the São Francisco River system.
2. In order to implement effective strategies for the conservation of these species, microsatellite markers were developed and used to assess the genetic diversity and structure among wild groups. Fish were collected during the spawning season at four sampling sites, covering more than 1000 km.
3. Polymorphism loci were assessed, and a total of 133 and 107 alleles were found for S. franciscanus and B. orthotaenia, respectively. Despite the critical conservation status, B. orthotaenia showed high levels of genetic diversity, comparable with those of other closely related species.
4. Salminus franciscanus exhibited half of the genetic diversity of its sister species in terms of allelic diversity, indicating that this species will be more prone to genetic drift and inbreeding in conservation aquaculture programmes.
5. The results of an analysis of molecular variance for microsatellite markers in these species (F_ST = 0.007 for S. franciscanus and F_ST = 0.003 for B. orthotaenia) and the estimated recent migration rates (>40% among sampling sites) support panmixia in both species, despite the heterogeneities of the riverscape.
6. The results of this study and the microsatellites developed will play an important role in assisting agencies in making informed decisions on conservation aquaculture programmes.

     

Influence of Dietary Lipids and Environmental Salinity on the n-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Biosynthesis Capacity of the Marine Teleost Solea senegalensis

Fish vary in their ability to biosynthesise long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) depending upon the complement and function of key enzymes commonly known as fatty acyl desaturases and elongases. It has been reported in Solea senegalensis the existence of a Δ4 desaturase, enabling the biosynthesis of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which can be modulated by the diet. The present study aims to evaluate the combined effects of the partial replacement of fish oil (FO) with vegetable oils and reduced environmental salinity in the fatty acid composition of relevant body compartments (muscle, hepatocytes and enterocytes), the enzymatic activity over α-linolenic acid (ALA) to form n-3 LC-PUFA through the incubation of isolated hepatocytes and enterocytes with [1-¹⁴C] 18:3 n-3, and the regulation of the S. senegalensis fads2 and elovl5 in the liver and intestine. The presence of radiolabelled products, including 18:4n-3, 20:4n-3 and EPA, provided compelling evidence that a complete pathway enabling the biosynthesis of EPA from ALA, establishing S. senegalensis, has at least one Fads2 with ∆6 activity. Dietary composition prevailed over salinity in regulating the expression of fads2, while salinity did so over dietary composition for elovl5. FO replacement enhanced the proportion of DHA in S. senegalensis muscle and the combination with 20 ppt salinity increased the amount of n-3 LC-PUFA in hepatocytes.     

Immunohistochemical detection of arteriolar hyperplasia in canine liver biopsy samples using the claudin-5 antibody

Claudins are key tight junctional proteins between adjacent epithelial, mesothelial or endothelial cells, which are responsible for the permeability of the paracellular space. This paper describes that the endothelial cells of normal hepatic arterioles, portal venules and portal lymphatics as well as the endothelium of sinusoids from dogs show strong membranous claudin-5 cross-reactivity. In 25 liver biopsy samples taken from dogs with portal vein hypoperfusion, an increased number of arterioles was detected in the portal areas (PAs) by the use of humanised anti-claudin-5 antibody. The increased number of hyperplastic hepatic arterioles per PA was 5-6, 8-12 and 15-20 in the case of small, medium-sized and large PAs, respectively. It is suggested that the claudin-5 marker can improve the detection of hepatic arteriolar proliferation in the PAs of liver samples.     

Extent,pattern, and multifunctionality of treed habitats on farms in Vermont,USA

Agroecosystems can serve as multifunctional landscapes when treed habitats such as woodlots, hedgerows, riparian buffers, windbreaks, and orchards, are conserved on farms. We investigated the extent, pattern, and multifunctionality of on-farm treed habitats for 16 Vermont farms in the Lamoille watershed of the Lake Champlain Basin. The site was selected because the land use pattern is representative of the region, containing a mixture of agriculture and forest in different habitat types. We used a GIS-based approach to delineate treed habitats on farms and conducted semi-structured interviews with farmers to explore their perception of the functions of treed habitats. Through an evaluation of the relationship between farm characteristics and spatial attributes of treed habitats, we found farm size to be an important variable. Larger farms had more land in treed habitats, while the pattern of these habitats was more complex on smaller farms. Average elevation of the farm, an indicator of biophysical conditions, was a stronger predictor of the extent of treed habitats than farm characteristics. From interviews, we found that farmers benefited from alternative forest products, both for direct consumption and sale, including firewood, timber, maple sugar, edible fruits and nuts, and wood crafts. Most farmers also recognized cultural and ecological functions provided by treed habitats. These results have implications for developing policies to promote the conservation of treed habitats, considering the preferences of the landowner or farmer.     

Explaining the Relative Frequency of Face‐to‐face Meetings in Cooperative Relationships among Companies: An Econometric Analysis

This paper analyses the factors that influence the relative frequency of face‐to‐face meetings when companies cooperate with each other. Specifically, we explore the role of geographical distance between the partners and how it affects the influence of other factors, especially the nature of knowledge and the ability to use information technology. An econometric analysis based on a survey of 338 companies in the Brittany region (France) shows that the factors that influence the relative frequency of face‐to‐face encounters differ according to whether the partners are located within or outside a single region. In particular, the nature of knowledge plays a role only when the partners are remote.     

An ethnobotanical study on home gardens in a Transylvanian Hungarian Csángó village (Romania)

Due to their isolation and insufficiency of official medical care, the inhabitants of several Transylvanian “Csángó” farms in Romania have valuable archaic knowledge of plants. Such ethnobotanical data reported previously from different regions of the country are available only in Hungarian. Of the various ethnic groups constituting the Csángós’ culture the present study was undertaken to survey those living in the Úz-valley (Romania), focusing on the indigenous human ethnomedicine and ethnoveterinary practices of Csinód, a village in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains. The aim of the study was to summarize the occurrence and diversity of food, medicinal, ornamental and fodder plants, as well as herbal home remedies applied on a daily basis. In the summers of 2007–2009 altogether 85 plant taxa in 13 home gardens were registered, using free interviews with local terminology, concentrating on drug parts, use, origin of knowledge and peculiar magico-mythological procedures associated with the species concerned. Due to the obvious decrease in the villagers’ traditional knowledge the prevention of these data from disappearing has gained primary importance in an effort to preserve this heritage as an integral part of the folk medicinal system in Transylvania.     

Hepatoprotective effect of Foeniculum vulgare essential oil

Hepatoprotective activity of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) essential oil (FEO) was studied using carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) induced liver injury model in rats. The hepatotoxicity produced by acute CCl(4) administration was found to be inhibited by FEO with evidence of decreased levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin. The results of this study indicate that FEO has a potent hepatoprotective action against CCl(4)-induced hepatic damage in rats.