Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Acidic Calcium Sulfate (Vitoxal) on Growth,Survival, Immune Response and Gut Microbiota of the Pacific White Shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei

Dietary acidifiers have been recognized as beneficial in animal production including aquacultural production of fish where they confer such benefits as improved feed utilization, growth, and resistance to bacterial pathogens. If improvements in growth and immune responses by acidifier supplementation can be confirmed in shrimp, then mortalities due to diseases could be minimized, limiting the emergence of disease‐resistant bacterial pathogens as a potential result of antibiotic misuse. With this in mind, a 35‐d feeding trial was conducted to evaluate growth, enteric microbiota populations, and nonspecific immune responses of Litopenaeus vannamei fed diets containing the commercial acidifier Vitoxal, based on acidic calcium sulfate in an indoor temperature‐controlled, recirculating culture system without any natural productivity. Experimental diets were formulated to contain 0 (basal), 0.4, 1.2, 1.6, or 2.0% acidic calcium sulfate (ACS) by weight. Shrimp fed in excess, 15 times a day using automatic feeders. Weight gain and survival among treatments were excellent, but not significantly different (P > 0.05). Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that the enteric microbial community of shrimp fed the basal diet differed markedly from those fed the acidifier on the basis of 64.9% similarity coefficient. Shrimp fed the commercial acidifier at 1.2 and 2.0% responded significantly (P < 0.05) better to reduced stress and displayed enhanced immune responses including hemocyte phagocytic capacity, hemolymph protein concentration, hyaline cell counts, and hemolymph glucose, compared with shrimp fed the basal diet. These results point to an enhanced performance in terms of positive shifts in the composition of enteric microbial communities as well as improved immune performance, with no changes in growth or survival.     

Determination of selected antibiotics in farmed fish species using LC‐MS/MS

The aim of the study was to monitor the occurrence of 37 antibiotics from different classes including fluoroquinolone, tetracycline, macrolide, sulphonamide, penicillin, amphenicol and cephalosporin in three different farmed fish species (n = 75; rainbow trout, see bass, gilthead see bream) from five cities in Turkey. A method for LC‐MS/MS was optimized and validated to assess these antibiotics. As a result, 25 samples showed contamination with at least one antibiotic residue. The most detected antibiotics were norfloxacin (NOR) (18.7%), marbofloxacin (MAR) (12%), tetracycline (TC) (10.7), danofloxacin (DAN) (9.3%), oxytetracycline (OTC) (9.3%), tilmicosin (TLM) (8%) and enrofloxacin (ENR) (6.7%). A total of 17.3% of samples examined were found to be contaminated with residues exceeding the maximum residue limits (MRLs). The results indicate that antibiotics are frequently used in aquaculture production without the lack of knowledge. This study also revealed that the consumption of farmed fish could produce a public health concern as the level of residues for some antibiotics was much higher than MRLs.     

Changes in the digestive enzymes and hormones of gilthead seabream larvae (Sparus aurata, L. 1758) fed on Artemia nauplii enriched with free lysine

Variations in digestive enzymes and hormones during the larval development of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) fed on live prey (Artemia nauplii) enriched with free lysine were investigated for 16 days (from day 24 to day 40). Prior to initiation of the experiment, newly hatched larvae were transferred from incubators to fiber glass tanks (300 l) with black walls and fed the same diet until day 24. Each experiment was performed in triplicate. The amount of free lysine in the Artemia nauplii was increased by adding a 5.3 mM free amino acid solution to the culture water during a 16-h enrichment period. Larvae were sampled four times at four-day intervals, for 16 days. Larvae fed on the control group had lower growth than those fed on the lysine group at the end of the study but the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). The highest trypsin activity and lap/leu–ala peptidase ratios were observed in the control group (P < 0.05). Significant differences between bombesin activities of the treatment groups were not found in the fifth minute after the start of feeding (P > 0.05) but were significant in the fifteenth minute (P < 0.05). Significant differences between the CCK levels of the treatment groups were found (P < 0.05). In conclusion, three main ideas are presented in this study. First, Artemia nauplii can successfully be enriched with free lysine. Second, bombesin (GRP) and cholecystokinin (CCK) activity can be stimulated by free lysine. Third, the mechanisms controlling adaptation of the activity of the trypsin to the amount of dietary protein were not activated until day 40.     

汇水面积阈值对土壤侵蚀定量评价的影响

土壤侵蚀预报模型是定量评价水土流失和评估水土保持措施效益的重要手段。通用土壤流失方程(Universal Soil Loss Equation,USLE)和中国土壤流失方程(Chinese Soil Loss Equation,CSLE)被广泛应用于土壤侵蚀定量评价。这些模型中坡长的计算受汇水面积阈值的影响较大。为揭示汇水面积阈值对土壤侵蚀定量评价的影响,选取北方土石山区、西北黄土高原区、东北黑土区、南方红壤丘陵区、西南紫色土区、西南山地区和西南岩溶区210个流域面积在0.2~3.0km~2的小流域,以1∶10 000地形图10m分辨率DEM为数据源,分别计算了1 000,1 500,2 000,2 500,3 000,5 000,7 000,9 000,11 000,13 000,15 000m~2共11个汇水面积阈值下各小流域不同坡长、土壤侵蚀强度级别以及土壤侵蚀的面积比例,分析了它们对汇水面积阈值变化的敏感性。结果表明:平均坡长、土壤侵蚀面积和轻度以上各级别的侵蚀强度面积比例都随汇水面积阈值的增加先增加而后趋于稳定。微度侵蚀面积比例随汇水面积阈值的增加逐渐减小并趋于稳定。当汇水面积阈值由1 000m~2增加到15 000m~2时,北方土石山区、西北黄土高原区、东北黑土区、南方红壤丘陵区、西南紫色土区、西南山地区和西南岩溶区的平均坡长分别增至阈值为1 000m~2时的1.53,4.16,1.95,1.90,1.69,1.57,1.47倍;土壤侵蚀面积比例分别增至阈值为1 000m~2时的1.20,1.85,1.43,1.37,1.77,1.44,1.30倍。汇水面积阈值对各分区的影响程度存在差异。从平均坡长和土壤侵蚀面积来看,东北黑土区受汇水面积阈值的影响最大。研究结果不仅为精确评价土壤侵蚀提供了数据支撑,而且对水土保持综合防治措施的评价和优化具有指导意义。     

Effects of 17β-estradiol injection on the reproductive efficiency of freshwater crayfish,Astacus leptodactylus (Eschscholtz, 1823)

The effects of 17β-estradiol injection (10^?7mol/crayfish) in adult female Astacus leptodactylus on the reproductive efficiency (i.e., pleopodal egg and stage 1 juvenile numbers) were investigated. In addition, hepatosomatic index, gonodosomatic index, and 17β-estradiol (E2) levels of crayfish ovary, hepatopancreas, and heamolymph before and after injections were also determined. Results showed that E2 injection to females enhances the reproductive efficiency of A.leptodctylus. E2 injection significantly increased pleopodal egg and stage 1 juvenile numbers, GSI, HSI, and concentrations of E2 in heamolymph, ovary, and hepatopancreas. However, E2 injection did not accelerate time of mating and proportion of pleopodal egg-berried females at the first week of reproduction season in this species. This study highlights that to improve the reproductive efficiency of A.leptodctylus by using hormones to regulate the ovarian cycle, E2 should be used at least 1.5 months before the commencement of the breeding season.     

Evaluation of three non‐genetically modified soybean cultivars as ingredients and a yeast‐based additive as a supplement in practical diets for Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Two growth trials and a physiology assessment were conducted to evaluate three non‐genetically modified (GM) soybean cultivars as ingredients in practical diets for Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. In addition, a commercially available fermented yeast product was evaluated as dietary supplement. For the growth trials (46 and 35 days, respectively, for trials 1 and 2), the basal diet was primarily composed of soybean meal (SBM), fishmeal (FM), whole wheat, corn protein concentrate, poultry meal (PM, pet food grade) and corn starch. Non‐GM cultivars were processed with novel methodologies to produce Navita? ingredients (N1, N2 and N3) which were incorporated at low (L) or high (H) levels into the experimental diets, in partial replacement of FM and full replacement of conventional SBM. The last two formulations incorporated the fermented yeast for a total of nine experimental diets (Table 1 ). Results from the growth trials indicate that shrimp fed diet 5 (HN2) exhibited significantly lower (p < .05) weight gain as compared to shrimp fed diets 1 and 2 (basal and LN1, respectively) in trial 1, as well as compared to animals fed diets 1, 2, 3 and 8 (basal, LN1, HN1 and basal + yeast) in trial 2. The feed conversion ratio significantly increased for shrimp fed diet 5, in contrast with shrimp fed diets 1, 2, 3 and 8 in trials 1 and 2, as well as compared to shrimp fed diets diet 6 (LN3) in trial 2. For the physiological assessment (stress and immune responses), only the effects of diets 1, 3, 8 and 9 (basal, HN1, basal + yeast and HN1 + yeast, respectively) were investigated. Granular cell counts were significantly higher for shrimp fed the yeast‐containing diets. Haemolymph glucose and haemolymph packed cell volume were significantly reduced for shrimp fed diets 3, 8 and 9. No significant differences were observed in total haemocyte counts, hyaline cells counts, semi‐granular cells counts, haemolymph protein, haemocyte phagocytic capacity and haemocyte respiratory burst activity. Results of this work indicate that selective soy breeding technology coupled with novel processing options has the potential to increase the nutritional value of conventional SBM for shrimp feeds. Trends on immune responses were more difficult to elucidate possibly due to the limited length of the feeding trial.     

Medical Waste Treatment via Waste Electrospinning of PS

Body fluid medical wastes are infectious clinical wastes (blood, saliva, urine) due to their high pathogenic content. Incineration is the most commonly used method in waste management that possess high water content along with molecularly dissolved species such as proteins. The process is costly; so that the removal of solid content dissolved in aqueous part by preliminary filtration can reduce the volume of the waste material. In this study, fibrous mats were prepared by electrospinning of PS wastes from DMF and THF solutions. Then they are employed in the removal of protein-based solid contents of body fluid medical wastes before their disposal. Two sources of PS waste (CD cover and Styrofoam) were employed along with virgin PS for comparison. The adsorption capacity of as-prepared electrospun fibers was examined for three model proteins: Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), Myoglobin (MYO), and Trypsin (TRY). The fibers obtained from PS CD wastes have remarkably larger protein sorption capacities (particularly BSA) than the fibers obtained from virgin PS. XPS reveals the presence of CaCO₃ domains in CD covers added into PS during their production steps probably to increase mechanical properties. There may be an electrostatic interaction between Ca²⁺ and the negatively charged groups of the protein. In this way, PS wastes could be converted to a beneficial secondary product by electrospinning and also resulting materials promises for the disposal of body fluid medical wastes. This may be one of the frontiers study on the removal of medical wastes by adsorbents produced via electrospinning of waste polymers.     

The effects of deficit irrigation on nitrogen consumption,yield,and quality in drip irrigated grafted and ungrafted watermelon

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of deficit irrigation on nitrogen consumption,yield,and quality in grafted and ungrafted watermelon.The study was conducted in Cukurova region,Eastern Mediterranean,Turkey,between 2006 and 2008,and employed 3 irrigation rates(full irrigation(l_(100)) with no stress,moderate irrigation(Dl_(70)),and low irrigation(Dl_(50));Dl_(70) and Dl_(50) were considered deficit irrigation) on grafted(CTJ,Crimson Tide+Jumbo) and the ungrafted(CT,Crimson Tide) watermelon.The amount of irrigation water(IR) applied to the study plots were calculated based on cumulative pan evaporation that occurred during the irrigation intervals.Nitrogen consumption was 16%lower in CTJ plants than in CT plants.On the other hand,consumption of nitrogen was 28%higher in Dl_(50) plants than in Dl_(70) plants while it was 23%higher in Dl_(50) plants than in l_(100) plants.By grafting,the average amount of nitrogen content in seeds,pulps and peels for CTJ was 30,43 and 56%more than those of CT,respectively.The yield and the quality were not significantly affected by the deficit irrigation.In this respect,grafting of watermelon gave higher yield,but,it had a slight effect on fruit quality.The highest yield values of 16.90 and 19.32 kg plant~(-1) in 2008 were obtained with l_(100)and in CTJ plants,respectively.However,Dl_(50) treatment could be taken into account for the development of reduced irrigation strategies in semiarid regions where irrigation water supplies are limited.Additionally,the yield increased by applying CTJ treatment to the watermelon production.