Blue sucker stock characteristics in the upper Yazoo River basin, Mississippi, USA

Blue sucker Cycleptus elongatus (L.) in the upper Yazoo River basin, Mississippi, USA was studied using overnight hoop net sets (n = 4093) during 1988 and 1990–1998 to determine the influence of channel dredging. There were 264 blue suckers captured, ranging from 3 to 11 years of age. Length ranged from 265 to 700 mm and weight from 120 to 4700 g. Concurrent studies with smaller mesh hoop nets failed to capture any juvenile blue suckers. Catch‐per‐unit‐effort (CPUE: fish net^?1) declined throughout the study in the Yalobusha River, a river subjected to channel dredging during 1988 and 1994. With the exception of limited hydraulic dredging in the Tallahatchie River, there was no dredging in the other Yazoo River tributaries, nor were there declines in blue sucker catch rates in these rivers. Throughout the upper Yazoo River basin, blue sucker stocks were dominated by adult fish, and there was little evidence of reproduction or recruitment. Conservation of the blue sucker in the upper Yazoo River basin should include actions that ensure the functional integrity of this floodplain river ecosystem and elimination of channel dredging throughout the basin.     

Filtering method for obtaining stock indices by shark species from species-combined logbook data in tuna longline fisheries

ABSTRACT:   A method of filtering logbook data to obtain estimates of catch per unit effort (CPUE) for sharks has been proposed which simultaneously addresses the issues of under-reporting and the lack of species-specific catch records in historical data. Logbook catch data from vessels with high shark reporting rates are used to represent catch rates for the abundant blue shark Prionace glauca and low reporting vessels' data are used for the main commercially valuable species, the shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus . Logbook reporting rate filter (RRF) levels are evaluated through analytical and model-based comparisons to species-specific logbook records available since 1994 and shipboard observer data. At the high reporting rates, the ≥ 80% filter avoids large numbers of false zeros and provides the best fit to observer data for blue shark. At the low reporting rates, the ≤ 40% filter best matches the observer data for makos, but this filter level includes large numbers of false zeros and sharks of other species. The ≤ 20% filter produces a dataset that is better targeted to mako catches but considerably under-estimates CPUE relative to observer records. For these reasons, other means of estimating mako catch rates are suggested for further research.     

Evaluation of VI-alpha and PIT-tagging of the seahorse <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hippocampus abdominalis</Emphasis>

The suitability of visible implant alphanumeric (VI-alpha) and passive integrated transponder (PIT)-tagging to individually identify seahorses (Hippocampus abdominalis) was assessed in two trials. For each trial, 24 seahorses were tagged and mortality, growth, tag retention and tag visibility/readability assessed, together with 24 control seahorses, over a period of 3 months. For VI-alpha tagging, a single tag was inserted under the skin between the first two anterior lateral tail rings of the seahorses. There was no difference in final seahorse length, wet weight, or mean SGR in tagged seahorses, compared with control seahorses, after 3 months. Tag retention was 100%, as was survival, in both treatments. Tag detection with the naked eye was generally poor but improved using LED blue light. However, readability of tag codes was highly variable and insufficiently reliable for VI-alpha to be suitable for identification of individual seahorses. In PIT-tagged seahorses, a single FDX-B transponder was inserted into the abdominal cavity of seahorses. There was also no difference in final seahorse length, wet weight, or mean SGR, compared with control seahorses, after 3 months. Tag retention was also 100%, as was survival in both treatments. Readability of transponders was reliable and quick using a compact reader. PIT-tagging is considered suitable for individual identification of large H. abdominalis.     

Marennine,Promising Blue Pigments from a Widespread Haslea Diatom Species Complex

In diatoms, the main photosynthetic pigments are chlorophylls a and c, fucoxanthin, diadinoxanthin and diatoxanthin. The marine pennate diatom Haslea ostrearia has long been known for producing, in addition to these generic pigments, a water-soluble blue pigment, marennine. This pigment, responsible for the greening of oysters in western France, presents different biological activities: allelopathic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and growth-inhibiting. A method to extract and purify marennine has been developed, but its chemical structure could hitherto not be resolved. For decades, H. ostrearia was the only organism known to produce marennine, and can be found worldwide. Our knowledge about H. ostrearia-like diatom biodiversity has recently been extended with the discovery of several new species of blue diatoms, the recently described H. karadagensis, H. silbo sp. inedit. and H. provincialis sp. inedit. These blue diatoms produce different marennine-like pigments, which belong to the same chemical family and present similar biological activities. Aside from being a potential source of natural blue pigments, H. ostrearia-like diatoms thus present a commercial potential for aquaculture, cosmetics, food and health industries.     

粉煤灰基吸附剂吸附亚甲基蓝及再生性能研究

研究粉煤灰基吸附剂及微波辐照再生后吸附剂对亚甲基蓝的吸附行为,确定了粉煤灰基吸附剂达到吸附平衡的时间及吸附过程符合的等温吸附模型。试验结果表明,1 h后粉煤灰基吸附剂吸附基本达到平衡,吸附过程更符合Freundlich等温吸附模型,最大平衡吸附量为35.64 mg/g。对吸附饱和亚甲基蓝粉煤灰基吸附剂进行微波辐照再生研究,最佳的再生条件为微波功率700 W,再生时间2 min,粉煤灰基吸附剂再生效率为98.6%。     

Are Primary Cultures of Trout (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus mykiss</Emphasis>) Ventricular Cardiomyocytes Metabolically Viable?

The objectives of this study were to establish a protocol for the isolation of metabolically viable ventricular cardiomyocytes from the rainbow trout and to determine which measures may best reflect viability 24 h after isolation. Cardiomyocytes were isolated by enzymatic digestion and maintained in cell suspension. Viability was assessed using Trypan blue dye exclusion, ATP content, oxygen consumption and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage into the medium. Viability, assessed by these measures did not significantly change over the time period of this study. ATP content did correlate significantly with oxygen consumption but not with Trypan blue exclusion. We conclude that primary cultured cardiomyocytes remain metabolically viable for at least 24 h after isolation. Also, it appears that ATP content and oxygen consumption most adequately reflect metabolic cell viability. To be confident with a culture, however, a combination of viability measures is necessary when isolating cardiomyocytes from fish.     

Methylene Blue Stainability of Root-Tip Protoplasts as an Indicator of Aluminum Tolerance in a Wide Range of Plant Species,Cultivars and Lines

We previously developed a new simple technique of methylene blue (MB) staining for the discrimination of aluminum (Al)-tolerant protoplasts from 4 plant species (rice, oats, maize and pea). The objectives of the present study were to confirm the applicability of this technique to a wider range of plant species, cultivars and lines, and to identify a common strategy for the early stage of Al tolerance. A total of 10 plant species, two Brachiaria spp., two Oryza spp., buckwheat, maize, pea, triticale, wheat and barley, corresponding to 18 different plant samples (species, cultivars, and lines), were used. Al tolerance (relative net root elongation of the longest root), which was screened at 20 μM AICI₃ in 0.2 mM CaCl₂ (pH 4.9) for 24 h, ranged widely from 10 to 88. Among cultivars and lines within the same species, Al accumulation in the root tip portion was higher in Al-sensitive plants, corresponding to more severe permeabilization of the plasma membranes (PM). Protoplasts isolated mainly from the epidermis, and outer and central parts of the cortex were stained to different degrees by MB, and the blue color was observed both on the surface and inside the protoplasts. Color pictures obtained after staining for 3 min with 0.1% MB were analyzed by Image Hyper II. The ratio of the heavily stained area at threshold 95 to the entire area stained with MB at threshold 125 was defined as MB stainability. MB stainability was negatively correlated with Al tolerance (y= 48.6e^?0.02x , R ²= 0.676**) suggesting the common importance of permeation characteristics of PM, in addition to PM negativity for Al tolerance in a wide range of plant species, cultivars and lines. Analysis of the PM lipid composition was proposed as an important topic for future studies on the negativity and permeation of PM.     

溴酚兰—丁基罗丹明等色染料离子对萃取光度法测定微量铜（Ⅱ）

基于铜，邻二氮菲和溴酚兰形成Ｃｕ：ｐｈｅｎ：ＢＰＢ为１：３：１的三元配合物且丁基罗丹明Ｂ与溴酚兰形成经ＢＰＢ：ＢＲＢ为１：３的等色染料离子对，建立了等色染出子对萃取法测Ｃｕ的新方法，该法摩尔吸光系数为２．８６×１０＾５Ｌ．ｍｏｌ＾－１．ｃｍ＾－１线性９．４４×１０＾－７－８．６５×１０＾－５ｍｏｌ．Ｌ＾－１。     

不同品种马铃薯的颗粒全粉功能品质分析

以相同条件下生产的7个品种马铃薯为原料,测定其品质指标(干物质、总淀粉、直链淀粉、还原糖、VC)和加工全粉的功能指标(蓝值、持水性和持油性),研究不同品种马铃薯及其所制颗粒全粉功能品质的差异。结果表明,除费乌瑞它品种马铃薯的干物质含量偏低外,其余6个品种秦芋30、秦芋32、0406-1、0406-9、安薯56、鄂5均符合加工全粉的要求;马铃薯原料中总淀粉含量高,则游离淀粉的含量相对较高。7个品种马铃薯全粉的蓝值顺序为:安薯56费乌瑞它鄂5秦芋320406-9秦芋300406-1;持水性顺序为:秦芋32鄂5秦芋300406-9费乌瑞它0406-1安薯56;持油性顺序为:0406-1安薯56鄂5费乌瑞它=秦芋32秦芋300406-9。该结果可为马铃薯颗粒全粉生产的原料选择和全粉应用提供参考依据。     

酸性染料比色法测定断肠草总生物碱的含量

建立了断肠草总生物碱含量的酸性染料比色测定法,并考察了各种因素对测定结果的影响。以溴甲酚绿作为测试用酸性染料,在总生物碱与其形成稳定络合物时间范围内,利用比色法测定了断肠草总生物碱的含量。此方法快速简便、准确易行。