Dietary protein requirement of juvenile marbled spinefoot rabbitfish Siganus rivulatus

Rabbitfish are an Indo‐Pacific herbivorous marine fish that have good market demand and are suitable for aquaculture. The present work was performed to determine dietary protein inclusion necessary for optimal growth of juvenile rabbitfish Siganus rivulatus. Six diets with increasing levels of protein (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 g crude protein 100 g^?1 feed) and similar levels of gross energy (20 MJ kg^?1) were prepared and offered to S. rivulatus juveniles maintained in triplicate cages placed in two large water tanks for 49 days. Growth progressively improved with dietary protein for fish offered diets from 10% to 40% protein inclusion. Diets with greater protein levels did not improve fish growth beyond that observed in the 40% group. Daily feed intake, apparent protein utilization and feed conversion ratio decreased as dietary protein increased. Protein efficiency (PE) was greatest (1.47) in fish offered the 10% protein diet and least in fish offered the 60% protein diet (0.80). No differences in PE were observed among all other treatments (20–50%). Results of the present work suggest that minimum dietary requirement for suitable growth of S. rivulatus juveniles is 40% protein when digestible energy of the diet is 16–18 MJ kg^?1.     

Enzymatic synthesis of lipophilic rutin and vanillyl esters from fish byproducts

Lipase-catalyzed synthesis of lipophilic phenolic antioxidants was carried out with a concentrate of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), recovered from oil extracted from salmon ( Salmon salar ) byproduct. Vanillyl alcohol and rutin were selected for the esterification reaction, and obtained esters yields were 60 and 30%, respectively. The antioxidant activities of the esters were compared with those of commercial butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and α-tocopherol using DPPH radical scavenging and thiobarbituric acid assays. In the DPPH assay, rutin esters showed better activity than vanillyl esters, and on the contrary in lipophilic medium, vanillyl esters were found to be superior to rutin esters. In bulk oil system, the antioxidant activities of rutin and vanillyl derivatives were lower than that of BHT and α-tocopherol, but in emulsion, they showed better activity than α-tocopherol. By attaching to natural phenolics, the PUFAs are protected against oxidation, and PUFA improves the hydrophobicity of the phenolic, which could enhance its function in lipid systems.     

Plant species traits regulate methane production in freshwater wetland soils

Ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to anthropogenic stressors are the result of complex interactions between plants and microbes. A mechanistic understanding of how plant traits influence microbial processes is needed in order to predict the ecosystem-level effects of natural or anthropogenic change. This is particularly true in wetland ecosystems, where plants alter the availability of both electron donors (e.g., organic carbon) and electron acceptors (e.g., oxygen and ferric iron), thereby regulating the total amount of anaerobic respiration and the production of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. In this study, we examined how plant traits associated with plant inputs of carbon (photosynthesis and biomass) and oxygen (root porosity and ferric iron on roots) to mineral soils relate to microbial competition for organic carbon and, ultimately, methane production. Plant productivity was positively correlated with microbial respiration and negatively correlated to methane production. Root porosity was relatively constant across plant species, but belowground biomass, total biomass, and the concentration of oxidized (ferric) iron on roots varied significantly between species. As a result the size of the total root oxidized iron pool varied considerably across plant species, scaling with plant productivity. Large pools of oxidized iron were related to high CO₂:CH₄ ratios during microbial respiration, indicating that as plant productivity and biomass increased, microbes used non-methanogenic respiration pathways, most likely including the reduction of iron oxides. Taken together these results suggest that increased oxygen input from plants with greater biomass can offset any potential stimulation of methanogenic microbes from additional carbon inputs. Because the species composition of plant communities influences both electron donor and acceptor availability in wetland soils, changes in plant species as a consequence of anthropogenic disturbance have the potential to trigger profound effects on microbial processes, including changes in anaerobic decomposition rates and the proportion of mineralized carbon emitted as the greenhouse gas methane.     

Methane emission and entrapment in flooded rice soils as affected by soil properties

Laboratory incubation experiments were conducted to study the effects of soil chemical and physical properties on CH₄ emission and entrapment in 16 selected soils with a pH range of 4.7–8.1, organic matter content of 0.72–2.38%, and soil texture from silt to clay. There was no significant correlation with CH₄ emission for most of the important soil properties, including soil aerobic pH (measured before anaerobic incubation), total Kjeldahl N, cation exchange capacity, especially soil organic matter, and soil water-soluble C, which were considered to be critical controlling factors of CH₄ emission. A lower CH₄ emission was observed in some soils with a higher organic matter content. Differences in soil Fe and Mn contents and their chemical forms contributed to the this observation. A significant correlation between the CH₄ emission and the soil organic C content was observed only after stratifying soils into subgroups according to the level of CH₄ emission in soils not amended with organic matter. The results also showed that the soil redox potential (Eh), anaerobic pH, anerobic pH, and biologically reducible Fe and Mn affected CH₄ emission significantly. Urea fertilization promoted CH₄ emission in some soils and inhibited it in others. This result appeared to be related to the original soil pH. CH₄ entrapment was positively correlated with soil clay content, indicating the importance of soil physical characteristics in reducing CH₄ emissions to the atmosphere.     

Pathways and dynamics of NO3 and NH4 applied in a mountain Picea abies forest and in a nearby meadow in central Switzerland

To evaluate the pathways and dynamics of inorganic nitrogen (N) deposition in previously N-limited ecosystems, field additions of ¹⁵N tracers were conducted in two mountain ecosystems, a forest dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies) and a nearby meadow, at the Alptal research site in central Switzerland. This site is moderately impacted by N from agricultural and combustion sources, with a bulk atmospheric deposition of 12 kg N ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ equally divided between NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻. Pulses of ¹⁵NH₄⁺ and ¹⁵NO₃⁻ were applied separately as tracers on plots of 2.25 m². Several ecosystem pools were sampled at short to longer-term intervals (from a few hours to 1 year), above and belowground biomass (excluding trees), litter layer, soil LF horizon (approx. 5-0 cm), A horizon (approx. 0-5 cm) and gleyic B horizon (5-20 cm). Furthermore, extractable inorganic N, and microbial N pools were analysed in the LF and A horizons. Tracer recovery patterns were quite similar in both ecosystems, with most of the tracer retained in the soil pool. At the short-term (up to 1 week), up to 16% of both tracers remained extractable or entered the microbial biomass. However, up to 30% of the added ¹⁵NO₃⁻ was immobilised just after 1 h, and probably chemically bound to soil organic matter. 16% of the NH₄⁺ tracer was also immobilised within hours, but it is not clear how much was bound to soil organic matter or fixed between layers of illite-type clay. While the extractable and microbial pools lost ¹⁵N over time, a long-term increase in ¹⁵N was measured in the roots. Otherwise, differences in recovery a few hours after labelling and 1 year later were surprisingly small. Overall, more NO₃⁻ tracer than NH₄⁺ tracer was recovered in the soil. This was due to a strong aboveground uptake of the deposited NH₄⁺ by the ground vegetation, especially by mosses.     

Monitoring of subaqueous depots with active barrier systems for contaminated dredged material using dialysis samplers and DGT probes

Background, Aims and Scope  Disposal of dredged material in subaqueous depots is increasingly considered an economic and ecologically sound option in managing contaminated dredged material. The concept of subaqueous disposals capped with active barrier systems has been developed to minimize this risk of contaminant release. As such a depot represents a permanent installation within a sensitive ecosystem, it requires a thorough monitoring concept. It is the goal of this work to develop such a concept regarding general considerations and results of laboratory and field investigations. Methods  In addition to the state-of-the-art techniques developed for other under-water constructions, this monitoring concept is developed with particular respect to the chemical isolation of the dredged material from the overlying water body. It comprises the use of seepage meters, dialysis samplers, and DGT gel probes for determining the migration of selected target solutes. The capability of the dialysis samplers is demonstrated by comparing field results with model calculations. The appropriateness of DGT probes to assess the impact of humic substances on trace metal speciation and on copper toxicity is demonstrated with the aid of laboratory experiments. Results and Discussion  The experimental results show that, by using dialysis samplers, the temporal changes in concentration-depth-profiles of heavy metals in the pore solution can be monitored. Additionally, the application of DGT probes facilitates the in situ detection of labile species of a metal in the presence of dissolved humic substances, which serves to reflect its toxicity. Conclusions. Three subsequent monitoring phases are distinguished on the basis of both general considerations and the findings from field results: A hydraulic phase that is characterized by compaction and pore water expulsion, a geochemical phase in which the demobilization of pollutants can occur due to substantial changes in the physico-chemical conditions (pH, EH), and a steady-state-phase where pore water flow and geochemical conditions are approaching their minimum. Recommendations and Outlook  The monitoring concept suggested here provides a versatile tool to assess the chemical isolation of subaqueous sediment depots and other contaminated sediment sites. This is of great importance as subaqueous disposal is increasingly considered a future management strategy as space for upland disposal is limited and treatment, in general, proves to be too costly.     

GFAJ-1 is an arsenate-resistant, phosphate-dependent organism

The bacterial isolate GFAJ-1 has been proposed to substitute arsenic for phosphorus to sustain growth. We have shown that GFAJ-1 is able to grow at low phosphate concentrations (1.7 μM), even in the presence of high concentrations of arsenate (40 mM), but lacks the ability to grow in phosphorus-depleted (<0.3 μM), arsenate-containing medium. High-resolution mass spectrometry analyses revealed that phosphorylated central metabolites and phosphorylated nucleic acids predominated. A few arsenylated compounds, including C6 sugar arsenates, were detected in extracts of GFAJ-1, when GFAJ-1 was incubated with arsenate, but further experiments showed they formed abiotically. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of phosphorus in nucleic acid extracts, while arsenic could not be detected and was below 1 per mil relative to phosphorus. Taken together, we conclude that GFAJ-1 is an arsenate-resistant, but still a phosphate-dependent, bacterium.     

Biological effects and metabolism of fenoxycarb after treatment of the fourth and the fifth instars of the tobacco budworm,Heliothis virescens F.

Treatment of 4th and 5th instar larvae of Heliothis virescens with different amounts of fenoxycarb induced an increase in weight of the 5th larval instar, prolongation of the 5th larval instar period, or the formation of dauer larvae. No effects were observed during the 4th instar and the moult to the 5th larval instar. To check whether these effects were due to persistence of fenoxycarb in treated larvae, metabolism of this chemical was analysed. Larvae were fed with radio-labelled fenoxycarb at the first day of the 4th or at the first day of the 5th larval instar. Behaviour of the radio-labelled compounds was followed during each instar. At the time of gut purge, the whole of the radio-labelled material was excreted. The effects observed during the 5th instar of 4th-instar-treated larvae do not appear to be due to the persistence of fenoxycarb. The main metabolites of fenoxycarb were identified using coupled gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.     

Evaluation of Protein Quality in Microbound Starter Diets Made with Decapsulated Cysts of Artemia and Fishmeal for Fish Larvae

Abstract.— The protein quality of carboxymethylcellulose microbound diets (MBDs) made with decapsulated cysts of Artemia andlor fishmeal as protein sources was used as an indicator of their suitability as starter feed for fish larvae. Studies on the proximate, fatty acid and amino acid composition. in vitro protein digestibility. diet solubility, and protein structure were combined with an in vivo feeding experiment with African catfish Clarias gariepinus larvae to evaluate the protein quality of the MBDs and a commercial diet. The growth of catfish larvae was higher when fed Artemia -based MBDs than with fishmeal-based MBDs, despite the higher protein and amino acid content of the latter. The in vitro protein digestibility was high for all the MBDs in comparison to a commercial diet. Differences were found in the protein molecular weight among the diets. Most of the proteins in the fishmeal-based diets had low molecular weight in the range between 7.4 and 49.2 kDa. The Artemia-based MBDs had larger protein fractions between 29.4 and 82 kDa. Decapsulated cysts improved the utilization of the MBDs when used in combination with fishmeal. Besides the effect of chemical attractants, the explanation for the positive effect of Artemia has yet to be elucidated. However, attention should be given to interactions between nutrients (e.g., protein-lipid) in live food, which might have an effect on the functional properties of food proteins.     

Flowering-pattern and yield components at inflorescence nodes of snap bean as affected by irrigation and plant density

This paper reports the results of a 2 × 2 factorial experiment on bush snap beans ‘Oregon 1604’. The treatments were 2 contrasted irrigation regimes and 2 contrasted plant densities, and were applied in 1978 and repeated in 1979. Data were collected on the number of flowers and pods, and pod size, at each node of the terminal inflorescence (6-T) of the main stem, and at each node of the oldest inflorescence (2-A) at Node 2. High and low plant densities were 45 and 18 plants m^?2 in 1978 and 54 and 33 plants m^?2 in 1979. High temperatures, frequently above 32°C, prevailed during bloom and pod development in 1978, but for the most part occurred only during the week prior to bloom in 1979. Inflorescences 6-T and 2-A usually formed 4 and 3 RN's, respectively, in 1978 and 3 and 2 RN's in 1979. The flowers at the proximal nodes of each inflorescence all opened within a few days of one another (duration of flowering at proximal nodes between 3 and 5 days); the flowering-periods of adjacent nodes overlapped, and the flowering period increased acropetally within the inflorescence (duration of flowering at distal nodes between 7 and 13 days). In general, number of flowers, pods formed, pods harvested and percent set decreased acropetally within each inflorescence. The rate of acropetal decline was lessened by high irrigation or low plant density. In both years, high irrigation increased the percent set of all RN's of the 2-A inflorescences, but few other consistent effects between years were observed. The 2 most proximal RN's together produced 93% or more of the yield of each inflorescence. High irrigation significantly increased the total number of pods harvested from these RN's of inflorescences 6-T and 2-A, and low density had a similar effect on 2-A.