Terpendole M, a novel indole-diterpenoid isolated from Lolium perenne infected with the endophytic fungus Neotyphodium lolii.

Terpendole M (1), a novel indole-diterpenoid, was isolated from perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) infected with the endophytic fungus Neotyphodium lolii. It was identified as 14alpha-hydroxyterpendole C by NMR and mass spectral techniques. The known indole-diterpenoids paspaline (3) and 13-desoxypaxilline (4) were also isolated from perennial ryegrass for the first time. Terpendole M was less tremorgenic than terpendole C (2) in a standard mouse bioassay. These findings provide clues to the biogenesis of the lolitrem neurotoxins, and information on the structure-activity relationships within the indole-diterpenoids.     

The effects of elevated pCO2 on growth,shell production and metabolism of cultured juvenile abalone,Haliotis iris

Reduced seawater pH and elevated pCO₂ are important considerations in tank‐based abalone aquaculture, while sea‐based farms may be at risk to ocean acidification reductions in pH. Juvenile Haliotis iris (5–13 and 30–40 mm shell length) were reared in two, 100‐day experiments at ambient pH_nbs (~ 8.1, 450 μatm CO₂), pH 7.8 (~1000 μatm CO₂) and pH 7.6 (~1600 μatm CO₂). Seawater pH was measured and adjusted automatically by bubbling CO₂ into water in replicated flow through tanks. Two separate trials were run, in winter (8.8°C) and summer (16.5°C). Survival and growth were monitored every 30 days, and post experiment measurements of morphometrics and respiration rate undertaken. Growth of shell length and wet weight were negatively affected by reduced pH, with a 2 to 3‐fold reduction in growth of both size classes between ambient and pH 7.6 treatments in the summer experiment. For small juveniles, growth reductions were in conjunction with decreases to shell weight, while large juveniles showed greater resilience in shell production. No changes to respiration rate occurred, suggesting that juveniles may maintain physiological functioning while tolerating dissolution pressure or that they are unable to upregulate metabolism to compensate for pH effects. These data show that CO₂ driven reductions in pH can impact growth, metabolism and biomineralization of abalone, and indicate that water quality and ocean acidification are of importance in aquaculture of the species.     

Scanning Probe Microscopes—Applications in Cereal Science

Scanning probe microscopes (SPMs) are a family of related instruments which can produce high-resolution images of structures at the molecular and atomic levels. Their main impact so far has been in surface science, but they also have tremendous potential for the study of biomolecules. In this article we will briefly introduce the properties and principles of these instruments, and then discuss a range of preliminary studies from our laboratories in relation to future applications in cereal science.     

Corn and soybean grain yield responses to soil amendments and cover crop in upland soils

A field study was conducted on upland soils for six years to determine interactive effects of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cover crop, organic and inorganic soil amendments on grain yields and nutrient utilizations in a no-till corn (Zea mays)-soybean (Glycine max) rotation. Experimental design was a split-plot arrangement with four replicates. Cover crops were the main plots and fertilization treatments used as sub-plot. Fertilization treatments included an unfertilized control, poultry litter, poultry litter (PL) plus flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum and inorganic N fertilizer applied every other year to corn. Corn grain yield and grain N and P uptake were greater with PL than inorganic fertilizer in 2014 and 2016. Addition of FGD gypsum to PL significantly increased corn grain yield by 15% in 2016. Cover crop increased corn and soybean grain yields in a year with less seasonal rainfall possibly by conserving soil moisture.     

A Clinical Index for Disease Activity in Cats with Chronic Enteropathy

Background: There is a need for a clinically useful, quantitative index for measurement of disease activity in cats with chronic enteropathy (CE). Objective: To develop a numerical activity index that is of practical value to clinicians treating CE in cats. Animals: Eighty‐two cats with CE. Methods: Retrospective case review of 59 cats diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Prospective validation study of 23 cats having either IBD or food‐responsive enteropathy (FRE). Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify which combination of clinical and laboratory variables were best associated with intestinal inflammation of IBD. This combination of variables was expressed in a score that was used as an activity index for the prospective assessment of disease activity and of the effect of treatment in cats with IBD or FRE. Results: The combination of gastrointestinal signs, endoscopic abnormalities, serum total protein, serum alanine transaminase/alkaline phosphatase activity, and serum phosphorous concentration had the best correlation with histopathologic inflammation and comprise the feline chronic enteropathy activity index (FCEAI). Positive treatment responses in cats with CE were accompanied by significant (P < .05) reductions in FCEAI scores after treatment. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The FCEAI is a simple numerical measure of inflammatory activity in cats with CE. The scoring index can be reliably used in the initial assessment of disease severity for both IBD and FRE and as a measure of clinical response to treatment for these disorders.     

Trends and change points in surface and bottom thermal environments of the US Northeast Continental Shelf Ecosystem

Temperature is an important factor in defining the habitats of marine resource species. While satellite sensors operationally measure ocean surface temperatures, we depend on in situ measurements to characterize benthic habitats. Ship‐based measurements were interpolated to develop a time series of gridded spring and fall, surface and bottom temperature fields for the US Northeast Shelf. Surface and bottom temperatures have increased over the study period (1968–2018) at rates between 0.18–0.31°C per decade and over a shorter time period (2004–2018) at rates between 0.26–1.49°C per decade. A change point analysis suggests that a warming regime began in the surface waters in 2011 centered on Georges Bank and the Nantucket Shoals; in following years, most of the Northeast Shelf had experienced a shift in surface temperature. A similar analysis of bottom temperature suggests a warming regime began in 2008 in the eastern Gulf of Maine; in following years, change points in temperature occurred further to the west in the Gulf of Maine, finally reaching the Middle Atlantic Bight by 2010. The spatial pattern in bottom water warming is consistent with well‐known oceanographic patterns that advect warming North Atlantic waters into the Gulf of Maine. The varying spatial and temporal progression of warming in the two layers suggests they were actuated by different sets of forcing factors. We then compared these trends and change points to responses of lower and higher trophic level organisms and identified a number of coincident shifts in distribution and biomass of key forage and fisheries species.     

Subtropical water influences temporal fluctuations of early life stages of Vinciguerria lucetia (Osteichthyes: Phosichthyidae) in the Humboldt Current System (1998–2004)

In the last decades, the fish Vinciguerria lucetia (Garman) has been of important interest to the fisheries sector; nonetheless, the spawning and nursery zones in the Humboldt Current System (HCS) have not yet been defined. By using a temporal series of 23 oceanographic surveys from austral spring of 1998 to autumn 2004 off northern Chile, the spatial and temporal distribution and abundance of eggs and larvae of V. lucetia were studied. The relationships with environmental conditions (sea surface temperature, water column stratification, salinity, dissolved oxygen) were modeled using generalized additive models (GAMs). Seasonal variations in eggs and larval abundances were recorded, and higher abundances were observed in spring and summer, respectively. The main spawning areas were located at approximately between 40 and 80 nautical miles offshore. The largest abundances of V. lucetia eggs were found during spring 2003; however, larval abundances reached the highest values following the strongest ENSO event 1997–98. GAMs predicted that offshore location, sea surface temperature, and the deepening of the oxygen minimum zone, characteristics of the subtropical waters (22–24°C, >34.9, 3–6 ml/L) drove eggs and larval distributions of V. lucetia in the HCS during 1998–2004, toward areas with scarce food availability for larvae. These results suggest that spawning and larval development of this oceanic species occur in oligotrophic waters as a loophole strategy, in order to reduce predation risk during early life stages.     

The Effect of Varying Biomass of Carryover Fish in Multiple‐batch Catfish,Ictalurus punctatus,Pond Production

The presence of carryover (fish >350 g stocked the previous year but not yet market size) channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, in multiple‐batch production ponds has been shown to affect overall production performance and costs. However, little attention has been paid to effects of varying biomasses of carryover fish in ponds. Twelve 0.1‐ha earthen ponds were stocked March 20, 2007, with 15,000 catfish fingerlings per ha (mean weight 31 g), and carryover fish at either 726, 1460, or 2187 kg/ha (mean weight 408 g, range 204–703 g) to compare the effect of three different biomasses of carryover catfish on the production performance of understocked fingerlings. Gross and net yields increased with increasing biomass of carryover fish. Growth and mean weight at harvest of fingerlings were significantly greater at the lowest biomass of carryover fish (<1460 kg/ha), but there was no difference between the medium and high carryover density treatments. Net returns were highest with the highest biomass of carryover fish, but fell by $688/ha in Year 2 because of slower growth of fingerlings in Year 1.