Environmental impact of razor clam harvesting using salt in Ria Formosa lagoon (Southern Portugal) and subsequent recovery of associated benthic communities

• 1. Razor clams are found in different habitats ranging from sheltered systems (e.g. lagoons and estuaries) to open coasts. They are distributed worldwide and comprise a small number of species of high economic value. Depending on the specific habitat and species exploited, different mechanical and hand‐harvesting techniques are employed. While the environmental effects resulting from mechanized methods have been described by several authors, the impacts caused by traditional hand‐harvesting methods remain unknown. Therefore, a study was undertaken in Ria Formosa lagoon (South of Portugal) addressing the environmental effects resulting from harvesting Solen marginatus with salt.
• 2. No significant impact on the sediment was found; the main effect was an increase in salinity after covering the area with salt, which decreased rapidly with the flood tide and after a few hours had returned to pre‐harvesting levels.
• 3. No effects on benthic communities were observed, with similar fluctuation patterns recorded in control and experimental areas, the observed differences being attributed to the natural variability of benthic populations.
• 4. Based on the results obtained in the present study, a razor clam fishery using salt in intertidal areas can be considered environmentally ‘friendly’.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Physiological responses of juvenile wedge sole Dicologoglossa cuneata (Moreau) to high stocking density

Physiological responses to a high stocking density were tested in juvenile wedge sole Dicologoglossa cuneata (Moreau). Fish were kept at low (1 kg m⁻²), medium (3 kg m⁻²) and high (9 kg m⁻²) stocking densities for 22 days. No differences in the weight, length, survival and hepatosomatic index were observed among treatments. Basal plasma cortisol and osmolality were found to be directly and positively related to stocking density. A mild increase in plasma glucose was seen at medium density, and plasma protein was elevated at medium and high densities. The liver glucose and glycogen content was inversely related to stocking density. The liver triglyceride level was significantly elevated at the highest density, and the α-amino acid content decreased at the highest density. In muscle, glucose levels were significantly higher in fish kept at the lowest density; the α-amino acid content was elevated in fish kept at high density. In conclusion, plasma cortisol levels indicated an increasing stress level depending on the culture density, but significant changes in energy reserves did not occur in tissue (mainly liver and muscle glycogen and glucose reserves were significantly affected).     

Semisynthetic ferulic acid derivative: an efficient feed additive for Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Ferulic acid (FA) derivative was synthesized by modifying the functional groups of FA as dietary additive in the feeding of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) juveniles. Structural confirmation of this compound was based on IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR techniques. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary FA derivative supplementation on growth performance, antioxidant status and serum biochemical parameters of GIFT juveniles compared with that of FA. A total of 675 fish with an average initial weight of 10.73 ± 0.40 g were fed nine diets supplemented with 0, 0.26, 0.52, 1.04 and 2.08 mmol kg^?1 FA, or 0.26, 0.52, 1.04 and 2.08 mmol kg^?1 FA derivative. Each diet was assigned to three replicate groups of 25 experimental tilapia for 56 days. Weight gain (WG) in groups of fish fed FA derivative was much higher than that of fish fed FA diet (P < 0.05). The antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT and GPx) in serum and liver of tilapia fed the FA derivative diets were significantly higher, while the malondialdehyde values were significantly lower than those of the fish fed the FA diets (P < 0.05). The serum biochemical parameters of GIFT were significantly improved by the FA derivative supplement. Moreover, feed conversion ratio, hepatosomatic index and viscerosomatic index were significantly decreased in fish fed FA or FA derivative diet at 0.52 mmol kg^?1 feed (P < 0.05). The investigation on the semisynthetic FA derivative provides a new way for developing safe and efficient feed additives.     

Liver histology and histomorphometry in hybrid sorubim (Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum × Pseudoplatystoma corruscans) reared on intensive fish farming

This study aimed to characterize the liver histology and histomorphometry in sorubim hybrid of different categories (nursery, growth and grow‐out) reared on fish farming. The categories were defined considering body weight (BW): nursery category (n = 5): BW = 37.06 ± 6.00 g (31.6–45.3 g); growth category (n = 5): BW = 310.40 ± 53.80 g (242.1–376.4 g) and grow‐out category (n = 5): BW = 874.28 ± 27.59 g (846.2–913.1 g). Liver fragments were processed to paraffin inclusion, and sections were stained by haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), PAS (Periodic Acid Schiff) and Perl's staining to histology, histomorphometry and density volumetric of liver structures; glycogen analysis and to detect ferric irons (Fe³⁺) respectively. The hepatosomatic index decreased between the categories (P < 0.01). The percentage of PAS‐positive hepatocytes in the nursery category was higher (P < 0.05) in relation to the growth and grow‐out categories. The hepatocytes from all fish were positive to Perl's staining. The density volumetric of liver structures did not differ among categories except to blood vessels were higher (P < 0.01) in the nursery and growth. The area (μm²) and perimeter (μm) of hepatocytes, and the area (μm²), perimeter (μm) and volume (μm³) of the nuclei from grow‐out fish were lower (P < 0.01) than those from the nursery and growth categories. Changes in morphometric characteristics of hepatocytes may result from metabolic changes associated with body growth surubins; therefore, these morphometric characteristics of liver tissue can be used as functional biomarkers for the assessment of fish health and nutrition status.     

新疆地区首次发现绿盲蝽严重为害农作物

2014年7-8月, 在新疆昌吉州玛纳斯县和阿勒泰地区布尔津县见绿盲蝽高密度种群, 玛纳斯县棉花、葡萄等作物上绿盲蝽为害严重, 这是新疆地区绿盲蝽为害农作物的首次报道。     

畜牧业生产造成环境污染的原因及治理措施

畜牧业生产造成的环境污染对人类危害很大,解决畜牧业发展造成的环境污染问题对于保护城乡居民身体健康具有非常重要的意义。本文较为详细地分析了畜牧业发展导致环境污染的原因及养殖场的污染对环境的危害性,有针对性地提出了畜牧业发展的环境保护措施。     

捷联惯导系统姿态算法的仿真模拟

在捷联惯性导航系统中,姿态矩阵可用四元数来表示,从而常常需要计算四元数矩阵微分方程的问题.4阶龙格-库塔法和3阶泰勒展开递推式法对捷联惯导系统的四元数姿态矩阵作仿真,结果表明：在短步长条件,3阶泰勒展开递推式法比4阶龙格-库塔法更有效.本文为改进捷联惯导系统算法提供了参考依据.     

哺乳期幼驼与成年母驼粪便菌群多样性分析

【目的】探究准噶尔双峰驼哺乳期幼驼和成年母驼粪便菌群结构组成及多样性变化,为幼驼肠道健康发育提供重要依据。【方法】选取6～7岁体况相近的健康成年母驼12峰,以及出生日期相近(3月龄)的哺乳期母幼驼12峰,母驼与幼驼在相同饲养环境下饲养。采用直肠取粪法采集粪样,用于粪便内容物细菌16S rDNA的V3-V4区测序,并对测序数据进行相应分析。【结果】母驼粪便菌群Chao1和Shannon指数均显著高于幼驼(P<0.05);在门水平上,母驼和幼驼粪便中位于前十的菌均为厚壁菌门、拟杆菌门、疣微菌门、变形菌门、软壁菌门、螺旋体门、TM7、放线菌门、蓝藻菌门和纤维杆菌门,其中幼驼粪便中变形菌门和软壁菌门丰度均极显著高于母驼(P<0.01);在科水平上,母驼与幼驼粪便中位于前十的菌均为瘤胃球菌科、消化链球菌科、毛螺菌科、梭菌科、克里斯滕森菌科、理研菌科、疣微菌科、拟杆菌科、艰难杆菌科和普雷沃氏菌科,其中母驼粪便中消化链球菌科和梭菌科的丰度均极显著高于幼驼(P<0.01),而幼驼粪便中毛螺菌科的丰度极显著高于母驼(P<0.01);在属水平上,母驼与幼驼粪便中位于前十的菌属均为梭...     

Surface Glucan Structures in Aeromonas spp.

Aeromonas spp. are generally found in aquatic environments, although they have also been isolated from both fresh and processed food. These Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria are mostly infective to poikilothermic animals, although they are also considered opportunistic pathogens of both aquatic and terrestrial homeotherms, and some species have been associated with gastrointestinal and extraintestinal septicemic infections in humans. Among the different pathogenic factors associated with virulence, several cell-surface glucans have been shown to contribute to colonization and survival of Aeromonas pathogenic strains, in different hosts. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), capsule and α-glucan structures, for instance, have been shown to play important roles in bacterial–host interactions related to pathogenesis, such as adherence, biofilm formation, or immune evasion. In addition, glycosylation of both polar and lateral flagella has been shown to be mandatory for flagella production and motility in different Aeromonas strains, and has also been associated with increased bacterial adhesion, biofilm formation, and induction of the host proinflammatory response. The main aspects of these structures are covered in this review.     

非洲菊品种的收集、繁育及保存研究

收集、评价了38个非洲菊品种,并通过实验得到了建立非洲菊无性系的优化条件,结果表明：以花托作为外植体可大大降低污染率;同时用KT、6-BA搭配和高细胞分裂素浓度、低生长素浓度以及1／2MS培养基均有利于提高花托不定芽的分化率;为了有利于试管苗的生根并防止内源激素的增加而引起变异,增殖培养基中6-BA的浓度应控制在1-2mg／L,并结合“MET”和低温同时进行。