Aerobic muscle function during steady swimming in fish

Axial swimming in fish varies across a range of body forms and swimming modes. Swimming by eels, tunas, mackerels, scup, rainbow trout and bass span this range from high curvature anguilliform swimmers to rigid body thunniform swimmers. Recent work on these and other species has elucidated an impressive array of solutions to the problem of how to use the red (aerobic, slow‐twitch) muscle to power steady or sustained swimming. This review will use a comparative approach to understand the generalities of aerobic muscle function during steady swimming in fish and determine possible rules for the relationships between muscle contractile kinetics, in vivo muscle activity and power output during swimming. Beyond an exploration of the diversity in muscle activity and swimming kinematics, I suggest that analysis of the molecular basis for longitudinal variations in muscle function is needed to complement morphological and physiological research on fish muscle. This will permit both a general understanding of the integrative function of the fish myotome and, perhaps, predictive tools for muscle activity and swimming performance in fish.     

Long-term nutritional effects on the primary liver and kidney metabolism in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). II. Adaptive response of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity to high-carbohydrate/low-protein and high-fat/non-carbohydrate diets

The influence of long-term administration of high-carbohydrate/low-protein and high-fat/non-carbohydrate diets were studied in relation to kinetic behaviour of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase in liver and kidney of rainbow trout. In all cases studied, the saturation curves of these enzyme showed typical hyperbolic kinetics without evidence of sigmoidicity. After 30 days of feeding with a high-fat diet (170 g kg^?1), there was a significant decrease in V_max and specific activity (45%) as well as catalytic efficiency (39%) without changes in K_m or activity ratio of hepatic glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase. These changes agree more with a clearly decreased cell concentration than with an inhibition of the pre-existing enzyme. The administration of a high-carbohydrate diet (60 g kg^?1), contrary to what was previously thought, decreased V_max by 21% and specific activity and catalytic efficiency by 30%, without significant changes in the other kinetic parameters of the hepatic enzyme. The kinetic behaviour under these nutritional conditons was due to the rejection of this diet by the fish and thus could be considered a low-feeding situation. On the other hand, no variations in the kinetics of renal glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were found, clearly demonstrating that in this organ, the pentosephosphate pathway showed no adaptive response related to fattyacid and other lipid synthesis. The activity of the renal enzyme was consistently half that of the hepatic enzyme.     

Intestinal phytase I: Detection and preliminary characterization of activity in the intestinal brush border membrane of hybrid striped bass Morone saxatilis × M. chrysops

While numerous studies have evaluated intestinal phytase activity in terrestrial monogastric species, little work has been conducted investigating the enzyme's activity in finfish. This experiment was conducted to determine if hybrid striped bass Morone saxatilis × M. chrysops possess intestinal phytase activity, and to perform a preliminary characterization of this activity in terms of pH, metal ion dependence and substrate kinetics. Hybrid bass do exhibit low levels of intestinal phytase activity. The activity has an acidic pH optimum between 3.5 and 4.5. Low concentrations of Mn²⁺ slightly enhance this activity. The divalent cations Mg²⁺ and Zn²⁺ were shown to either have no effect on the enzyme activity or to be inhibitory, particularly at high concentrations. The present results indicate that intestinal phytase activity in hybrid bass does follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics, with estimated K_m and V_max values of 2.5 mM phytate and 4.8 units mg⁻¹ protein, respectively. The physiologic significance of the enzyme's presence in hybrid striped bass is questionable due to the low activity as compared to terrestrial monogastrics, the acidic pH optimum and the low affinity the enzyme appears to have for phytate. These observations also raise the question of whether the intestinal phytase activity detected in hybrid bass is merely a manifestation of non-specific acid phosphatase activity. Further investigation is needed to determine the practical significance of phytase activity in hybrid bass in terms of phytate phosphorus utilization. Additional experiments should also be conducted which evaluate intestinal phytase activity in other important aquacultured finfish species. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

干/湿法烘焙预处理对稻壳燃烧反应特性的影响

烘焙是提高生物质燃料性质的重要技术手段,探究干/湿法烘焙对稻壳热解燃烧反应特性的影响具有重要意义。该研究利用固定床与高压反应釜对稻壳进行了不同温度下的干法烘焙和湿法烘焙（水热碳化）预处理,并利用热重分析仪对稻壳、稻壳烘焙炭和稻壳水热炭开展了非等温燃烧反应特性分析,并且利用Coats?Redfern法与三种常见的气-固反应机理模型对样品的燃烧反应特性进行了动力学分析。最后,该研究对干法与湿法烘焙两种预处理方式对稻壳的热解燃烧反应特性的影响进行了比较。结果表明两种预处理方式对稻壳的热解与燃烧反应参数存在影响：均导致热解反应性降低,干烘焙提高稻壳燃烧反应性,且反应性随着干烘焙温度的提高而升高。但湿烘焙使稻壳燃烧反应性略有降低。在相同的预处理温度条件下,稻壳烘焙炭较稻壳水热炭具有更高的热解起始失重温度、更低的热解最大失重速率及其对应温度和热解反应性。对于稻壳、稻壳烘焙炭及稻壳水热炭的热解燃烧反应性,模型O1较其他两个模型的线性回归指数更高。干/湿法烘焙使稻壳热解活化能升高,而湿烘焙使燃烧活化能降低。此外,两个阶段样品的指前因子（A）均随活化能的增大而增大,二者间存在明显的线性关系（R2均大于0.95）,表明反应过程具有动力学补偿效应。     

接种比对餐厨垃圾中温厌氧消化的影响

在(37±1)℃条件下采用批式厌氧消化试验方法,研究接种比(m(接种物)∶m(底物),按挥发性固体(VS)计)为1∶1、2∶1、3∶1和4∶1时去油和未去油餐厨垃圾的厌氧消化性能。结果表明:未去油和去油后餐厨垃圾发酵过程中,接种比为3∶1时产气量最高,单位挥发性固体(VS)沼气累积产气量分别为951.2和851.4mL/g,单位VS甲烷累积产气量分别为546.1和499.1mL/g;接种比为1∶1时,产气量最低,单位VS沼气累积产气量分别为831.5和730.3mL/g,单位VS累积产甲烷量分别为524.1和425.8mL/g。接种比为1∶1时,未去油和去油后餐厨垃圾在厌氧消化初始阶段pH较低,且沼气日产气量和甲烷浓度也明显低于其他各组。未去油餐厨垃圾累积产气量比去油后餐厨垃圾累积产气量高12.6%。随着接种比逐渐提高(1∶1~4∶1),未去油和去油后餐厨垃圾发酵过程延滞期逐渐缩短;未去油餐厨垃圾在适宜接种比(2∶1~4∶1)范围内延滞期均高于去油餐厨垃圾。餐厨垃圾油脂含量较高,厌氧消化延滞期较长;提高接种比有利于缩短消化时间,提高反应器运行效率。     

Thermal degradation modeling of flexural strength of wood after exposure to elevated temperatures

Abstract

Wood is being used heavily in single-family residential dwellings. Therefore, it is important to categorize their response when exposed to elevated temperatures for a sustained period of time. An important aspect of structural fire design is to assess postfire residual strength of existing structures. This study addresses this issue by developing models to predict strength degradation of wood after exposure to elevated temperature. The objectives were to (a) study the effect of exposure time on bending strength [Modulus of Rupture (MOR)] of wood at elevated temperatures, (b) interpret any relationships between different temperature and time of exposure using kinetics and a statistical approach, and (c) compare the two approaches. Two hundred thirty-two samples in total were tested in flexure as a function of exposure time and several temperatures. MOR of wood decreased as a function of temperature and exposure time. Rate of degradation was higher at higher temperatures. These results were fit to a simple kinetics model, based on the assumption of degradation kinetics following an Arrhenius activation energy model with apparent activation energy of 37.4 kJ/mol. A regression-based statistical model was also developed. The kinetics-based model fit the data better with one less parameter and predictions consistently matched the observed values, making the model preferred over the regression approach.     

Physiological,Biochemical, and Molecular Effects of In Vitro Induced Iron Deficiency in Peach Rootstock Mr.S 2/5

Abstract

On calcareous soils, carbonate induced iron deficiency can have heavy effects on growth and development of several fruit crops. Leaf chlorosis, biochemical, and ultrastructural alterations are the first symptoms causing severe damages to yield and productivity. In this work, some physiological, biochemical, and molecular aspects of iron deficiency stress induced on the peach rootstock Mr.S 2/5 in vitro were studied. The aim was to demonstrate if in vitro culture can be used as a valid and fast method to evoke iron deficiency symptoms and to study plant responses to this kind of abiotic stress. Two different treatments were carried out and compared to a control (MS medium): plantlets grown on MS medium completely free of iron and on MS medium containing 1 mM potassium bicarbonate. After 10 and 20 days from the beginning of the treatments fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll, and carotenoids content were measured. Superoxide dismutase and catalase total activity was measured, and gene expression was analyzed by using etherologous probes (Sod1, Sod3, Sod4, and Cat1) obtained from maize. In the absence of iron or in the presence of bicarbonate Mr.S 2/5 plantlets showed a significant decrease in growth, as quantified by fresh and dry weight. The plantlets showed a severe chlorosis due to a reduction in chlorophyll and carotenoids concentration. Iron deficiency stress caused a reduction of the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase, while inducing an increase in gene expression.     

砷污染区黄牛和水牛姐妹染色单体交换和细胞周期动力学的研究

本文以外周血淋巴细胞姐妹染色单体互换(SCE)频率和细胞周期动力学为指标,以较长期(4～13年)生活在砷污染区的黄牛和水牛为对象,对砷在动物体内慢性蓄积所诱发细胞遗传学效应进行了研究。其结果表明,砷污染区黄牛和水牛SCE频率均显著高于对照组,参照有关评价标准,可判为弱阳性,提示在当地污染水平下,黄牛和水牛都诱发了一定程度的细胞遗传学效应。对细胞周期动力学的观察结果表明,砷对黄牛和水牛没有明显的细胞毒性。本试验还报告了正常黄牛和水牛外周血液淋巴细胞SCE的自发频率以及培养72小时各期细胞的正常比率。     

土壤中积累态磷活化动力学的研究Ⅱ.沸石的影响

本文研究了NH4-沸石对潮土和红壤中积累态磷的活化动力学的影响。修正的Elovich公式和双常数速率公式对土壤中积累态磷的活化动力学拟合最好。土壤中添加了NH4-沸石后 ,土壤中积累态磷的活化释放明显增快。NH4-沸石有较强的释磷作用 ,可以促进土壤中积累态磷的活化释放。