A transdisciplinary research of coastal fisheries co-management: the case of the hairtail <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichiurus japonicus</Emphasis> trolling line fishery around the Bungo Channel,Japan

Under the coastal fisheries co-management regime in Japan, local fishers play important roles in deciding on and implementing local management measures. Therefore, using the case study of a hairtail trolling line fishery, we conducted a transdisciplinary research with fishers, processors, government officers, etc. Taking social and biological factors into account, we defined management criteria and targets (resource, economic, human community, and local food culture) in collaboration with local fishers. We chartered local fishing vessels to determine parameters that were easily understood by local fishers. We established a local consultative committee comprising fishers, processors, and distributors, and developed a fish distribution strategy to nurture the local hairtail food culture. The integrated effects of various management scenarios were evaluated by the operating model. We found that co-ordinated management by both the trolling line fishery and purse seiners in the neighbouring prefecture was required to achieve targets. Two realistic scenarios are recommended: a conservative scenario that could achieve targets even with few strong year classes, and an adaptive scenario that protects strong year classes, but relies on a higher frequency of these. We shared these results with the local fishers and government officers, which led to actual improvements in management measures.     

Cloned porcine embryos can maintain developmental ability after cryopreservation at the morula stage

The aim of the present study was to clarify the overall efficiency of porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) by incorporating cryopreservation of the cloned embryos before transfer. The SCNT embryos reconstructed with preadipocytes and in vitro-matured (IVM) oocytes were cultured to harvest morula stage embryos; they were then subjected to delipation (removal of cytoplasmic lipid droplets) and vitrification. After warming and culture, the embryos developing to blastocysts were transferred to recipients to obtain cloned piglets. From 372 reconstructed embryos, 188 (50.5%) reached the morula stage and 117 (31.5%) developed to blastocysts after vitrification. Transfer of 98 (26.3%) morphologically normal blastocysts gave rise to 6 (1.6%) piglets, including 1 stillborn. The efficiency of the cloned piglet production was comparable with that obtained using SCNT embryos without cryopreservation (2.7%, 17/635). Here, we demonstrate that porcine somatic cell cloning can be performed without a significant reduction in efficiency even when the SCNT embryos are cryopreserved before transfer.     

A longitudinal study to identify constraints to dairy cattle health and production in rural smallholder communities in Northern Vietnam

The objective of the study was to investigate constraints to dairy cattle health and production in rural smallholder communities in northern Vietnam, one of the target areas of the Vietnam government's dairy development programme. A total of 99 dairy farms (11 per commune) were recruited from 9 of 32 communes in Ba Vi District, using random two-stage cluster sampling. After the initial questionnaire interviews were conducted, farms were visited at three monthly intervals over a period of 1 year. Information on several health and production parameters relating to the study cattle was collected. Using multiple indicator modelling, it was found that Fasciola infestation, farmers who had been involved in dairying for longer (not indicative of better management skills), larger herd size, and cattle being kept in a shed were linked to reduced reproductive performances.     

Synthesis and herbicidal activity of optically active cinmethylin,its enantiomer,and C3-substituted cinmethylin analogs

We investigated the synthesis and herbicidal activity of optically active cinmethylin, its enantiomer, and C3-substituted cinmethylin analogs. Optically active cinmethylin could be obtained in seven steps with the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation of α-terpinene. The synthesized cinmethylin and its enantiomer showed similar herbicidal activity, which was independent of the stereochemistry. Next, we synthesized cinmethylin analogs with various substituents at the C3 position. We found that analogs with methylene, oxime, ketone, or methyl groups at the C3 position show excellent herbicidal activity.     

Theoretical epidemiology on bovine ephemeral fever outbreaks in Tanegashima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan in 1988.

From the end of September to November 1988, a compact scale of bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) outbreaks occurred suddenly in Tanegashima island of Kagoshima Prefecture, southern part of Kyusyu island of Japan. The BEF outbreak pattern showed epidemical characteristics as follows; (1) outbreak spread from few foci to zone during one month, and (2) the disease might be transmitted in farms with a fixed probability of adequate contact. By using the above aspects, we attempted to analyze the disease theoretically with the application of Poisson distribution and Reed-Frost model. The BEF incidence in farms was in well accord with the Poisson distribution. As the very rare event occurred in unit time or in unit area in this epidemic, the cattle population at risk were equivalently susceptible to BEF virus in this island, due to the influence of no vaccination to BEF control before the first outbreak. Similarly, the epidemic curve of the Reed-Frost model was proved to fit well the incidence observed in a farm, and the probability of adequate contact was induced as p = 0.226. If the cattle population is less than 5 in this farm, the outbreak would not occur in the first instance.     

Effects of olive leaf powder supplemented to fish feed on muscle protein of red sea bream

Olive leaf is known to have the high polyphenol content of 6–9% in dry weight. We investigated the effects of olive leaf powder (OLP) supplemented to fish feed on muscle protein of red sea bream (Pagrus major). Fish reared with feed containing 8% OLP for 40 days had 1.4 times higher myofibril content and 2.2 times higher acid-soluble collagen content than fish reared with control feed for the same period. On the other hand, sarcoplasmic protein content and collagenase activity of the muscle were almost the same between the control fish and OLP-diet fish. Microstructure observation of fish muscle showed that OLP-diet fish has more rigid endomysium structure than that of the control-diet fish. Since collagen fiber in endomysium is responsible for the texture of the muscle, feeding OLP to aquaculture fish will lead to a harder muscle texture. The present study suggests that OLP is a useful feed additive to enhance the texture of aquaculture red sea bream muscle through strengthening of the collagen structure in the muscle.     

Pathological changes induced by three myxosporeans in the intestine of cultured tiger puffer, Takifugu rubripes (Temminck and Schlegel)

Pathological changes in cultured tiger puffer, Takifugu rubripes , with emaciation disease in Kyushu, Japan were studied histologically. In most cases, diseased fish were heavily infected with at least one of three myxosporeans ( Myxidium fugu , Myxidium sp. and Leptotheca fugu ) and two unidentified hyperparasitic microsporeans, attached to, or in, the intestinal epithelium. Myxidium fugu attached to the surface of the epithelium, caused no noticeable effects on the host tissue, irrespective of its infection with the hyperparasite. Myxidium sp., which proliferated in the epithelium, induced severe pathological changes including accumulation of cell debris between the epithelium and lamina propria and resultant detachment of the epithelium. Leptotheca fugu, another histozoic myxosporean, induced degeneration of the epithelium, associated with massive infiltration of macrophages into the epithelium to encapsulate parasites. When L. fugu was infected with its hyperparasitic microsporean, shortened villi were also observed. This is probably because passage of macrophage-parasite aggregates through the basement membrane of the epithelium severely damaged the epithelial structure. It is evident histologically that, unlike epicellular M. fugu , histozoic Myxidium sp. and L. fugu with or without hyperparasitic microsporeans, were highly pathogenic to host fish. This strongly suggests that they are causative agents of the emaciation disease.