On-farm production of liquefied catfish protein

A method and the equipment used to process channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) offal into a liquid catfish protein (LCP) suitable for use as an animal feedstuff component is described. This process uses the offal following cleaning of the catfish for commercial use, i.e., without additional grinding or chopping. Small amounts of either hydrochloric acid or formic acid can be used to liquefy the catfish offal in 2 h or less. The liquefaction is conducted in a drum fitted with a baffle. The drum is heated to 50°C with water from an overhead manifold while turning on a drum roller. Bones and unliquefied material are removed by screening to yield LCP at pH 4.5.Variations in the processing conditions — grinding, agitation rate, acid employed, and time — did not alter significantly the amount of crude protein or the essential amino acid profile. Acid selection altered the amount of essential free amino acids found, with hydrochloric acid producing the lesser amount. Reducing the agitation rate lowered the amount of essential free amino acids. Comparison of the essential amino acid profile of the LCP with those of catfish, menhaden and herring meals showed lower amounts of these acids but sufficient to warrant use as a feed component.     

Economic Effects of Intensification of Baitfish Production

This study analyzed the economic effects of intensifying baitfish production. An economic engineering approach was utilized to develop enterprise budgets for baiffish production that were used to conduct an economic analysis. All indicators utilized, including net returns, internal rate of return, and payback period, indicated dramatic improvement in the economics of baitfish production with yield increases. There were strong economic incentives to increase yield, and minnow production at industry average yield was only marginally profitable under certain scenarios and unprofitable under others. Yields of 600 kg/ha would generate adequate revenue to compete with other aquaculture alternatives in terms of net returns as well as generate M internal rate of return that would outperform current long-term interest rates.     

Failure to induce stress reactions following vaccination against Marek's disease or Newcastle disease

Chickens aged one or 21 days were given single injections of a vaccine against Marek's disease or Newcastle disease respectively, and monitored over a three week period for any signs of a stressor response. No consistent evidence of such a response was found. Some data on normal ontogenetic changes in various adrenal and plasma variables are also presented.     

A Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Assay for the Detection of Inoculum of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

The development of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of inoculum of the plant pathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is described. The PCR primers were designed using nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer sequences. Specific detection of DNA from S. sclerotiorum was possible even in the presence of a 40-fold excess of DNA from the closely related fungus Botrytis cinerea. PCR products were obtained from suspensions of untreated S. sclerotiorum ascospores alone, but DNA purification was required for detection in the presence of large numbers of B. cinerea conidiospores. Specific detection of inoculum of S. sclerotiorum was possible in field-based air-samples, using a Burkard spore trap, and from inoculated oilseed rape petals. The assay has potential for incorporation into a risk management system for S. sclerotiorum in oilseed rape crops.     

The effects of applied water at various fractions of measured evapotranspiration on reproductive growth and water productivity of Thompson Seedless grapevines

The reproductive growth and water productivity (WP_b) of Thompson Seedless grapevines were measured as a function of applied water amounts at various fractions of measured grapevine ET_c for a total of eight irrigation treatments. Shoots were harvested numerous times during the growing season to calculate water productivity. Berry weight was maximized at the 0.6–0.8 applied water treatments across years. As applied water amounts increased soluble solids decreased. Berry weight measured at veraison and harvest was a linear function of the mean midday leaf water potential measured between anthesis and veraison and anthesis and harvest, respectively. As applied water amounts increased up to the 0.6–0.8 irrigation treatments there was a significant linear increase in yield. Yields at greater applied water amounts either leveled off or decreased. The reduction in yield on either side of the yearly maximum was due to fewer numbers of clusters per vine. Maximum yield occurred at an ET_c ranging from 550 to 700 mm. Yield per unit applied water and WP_b increased as applied water decreased. The results from this study demonstrated that Thompson Seedless grapevines can be deficit irrigated, increasing water use efficiency while maximizing yields.     

Myeloperoxidase,a leukocyte-derived vascular NO oxidase

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is an abundant mammalian phagocyte hemoprotein thought to primarily mediate host defense reactions. Although its microbicidal functions are well established in vitro, humans deficient in MPO are not at unusual risk of infection. MPO was observed herein to modulate the vascular signaling and vasodilatory functions of nitric oxide (NO) during acute inflammation. After leukocyte degranulation, MPO localized in and around vascular endothelial cells in a rodent model of acute endotoxemia and impaired endothelium-dependent relaxant responses, to which MPO-deficient mice were resistant. Altered vascular responsiveness was due to catalytic consumption of NO by substrate radicals generated by MPO. Thus MPO can directly modulate vascular inflammatory responses by regulating NO bioavailability.     

Comparative analysis of soil microbial communities and their responses to the short-term drought in bog,fen, and riparian wetlands

The frequency of drought is anticipated to increase in wetland ecosystems as global warming intensifies. However, information on microbial communities involved in greenhouse gas emissions and their responses to drought remains sparse. We compared the gene abundance of eubacterial 16S rRNA, nitrite reductase (nirS) and methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcrA), and the diversity and composition of eubacteria, methanogens and denitrifiers among bog, fen and riparian wetlands. The gene abundance, diversity and composition significantly differed among wetlands (p < 0.01) with the exception of the diversity of methanogens. The gene abundance was ranked in the order of the bog = fen > riparian wetland, whereas the diversity was in the riparian wetland ≥ fen > bog. In addition, we conducted a short-term drought experiment and compared microbial communities between control (water-logged) and drought (?15 cm) treatments. Drought led to significant decline in the gene abundance in the bog (16S rRNA, nirS, mcrA) (p < 0.01) and fen (16S rRNA, nirS) (p < 0.05), but not in the riparian wetland. There were no differences in the diversity and composition of denitrifiers and methanogens at all sites following drought. Our results imply that denitrifiers and methanogens inhabiting bogs and fens would suffer from short-term droughts, but remain unchanged in riparian wetlands.