Feeding Frequency Affects Growth, Not Fillet Composition, of Juvenile Sunshine Bass Morone chrysops×M. saxatilis Grown in Cages

Abstract.— In an effort to feed sunshine bass Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis efficiently, promote optimal growth, and reduce labor costs associated with feeding, sunshine bass were grown in cages and fed one of four feeding frequencies: once/d, twice/d, once every other day (I X/EOD), and twice every other day (2X/EOD) for 21 wk. Juvenile sunshine bass were fed a commercial floating diet containing 40% protein and 11.5% lipid. One hundred fish were hand-counted and stocked into each of 12 3.5-m³ cages with three replications per treatment. At the conclusion of the study, percentage weight gain of sunshine bass fed twice/d was significantly (P < 0.05) higher (1,850%) compared to fish fed all other feeding frequencies. Specific growth rate (SGR) of fish fed twice/d was significantly higher (2.1%/d) compared to fish fed all other feeding regimes, while fish fed once/d had a higher SGR (2.0%/d) compared to fish fed I X/EOD (1.6%/d) and 2X/EOD (1.8%/d). Percentage survival was not significantly different (P > 0.05) among all treatments and averaged 70.4%r. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of fish fed twice/d was significantly higher (2.40) compared to fish fed all other feeding regimes. Percentage fillet weight of fish fed twice/d was significantly higher (27.8%) compared to all other treatments. Percentage moisture, protein, lipid, and ash in fillet were not significantly different among all treatments and averaged 75.7%, 19.4%, 3.5%, and 1.2%n, respectively (wet-weight basis). Based upon data from the present study, it appears that producers growing juvenile sunshine bass in cages may want to feed fish twice daily. This feeding regimen allows for higher growth rates, without adverse effects on body or fillet compositions. However, economic analysis needs to be conducted to determine if feeding twice/d is profitable.     

Ionized calcium concentration in horses with surgically managed gastrointestinal disease: 147 cases (1988-1990).

Packed cell volume, total plasma protein, serum sodium, potassium, and ionized Ca2+ concentrations, and blood pH were determined at the time of admission and following surgery in 147 horses with acute abdominal crisis. Horses were allotted to 3 categories on the basis of the surgical lesion: (1) nonstrangulating obstruction of the ascending or descending colon (category A, n = 76), (2) strangulating and nonstrangulating infarction of the cecum or ascending colon (category B, n = 37), and (3) strangulating and nonstrangulating infarction of the small intestine (category C, n = 25). Horses with low serum ionized Ca2+ concentration following surgery were given 23% calcium gluconate (100 to 300 ml) IV to effect, and ionized Ca2+ concentration was determined following treatment. The serum ionized Ca2+ concentrations of horses in categories A, B, and C before and after surgery were lower than our normal laboratory reference range. Prior to surgery, serum ionized Ca2+ concentration measured from horses in category B and C was lower than that in horses in category A. There was no difference in ionized Ca2+ concentration in serum samples obtained before surgery in horses from category B and C, and in serum samples obtained following surgery. There was a decrease in ionized Ca2+ concentration during surgery in horses in category A. There was no change between preoperative and postoperative ionized Ca2+ concentration in the samples obtained from horses in category B and C. After calcium gluconate administration, all horses with low serum ionized Ca2+ after surgery had concentrations within our normal range. Measurement of serum ionized Ca2+ in horses with an acute abdominal crisis is recommended.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The phenomenon of stress: Concepts and mechanisms associated with stress-induced responses of the neuroendocrine system

Stress, stressors and the stress response are terms which represent concepts rather than oeing precisely definable. No single theory of stress has been universally accepted. Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome of stress remains the primary theory for the basis of stress research in food-producing animals; however, other concepts and theories have been developed. This paper reviews current theories and suggests that the complexity of research on stress in food-producing animals can be attributed to the lack of concrete theories and concepts regarding identifiable stressors, the endocrine responses stimulated by potential stressors and the complex and integrated biological changes in the neuro-endocrine system resulting from exposure to hypothesized stressors.     

Mode of action of the systemic fungicides furalaxyl,metalaxyl and ofurace

The systemic fungicides furalaxyl, metalaxyl and ofurace,

1 Ofurace is the proposed BSI and ISO common name for α-(2-chloro-N-2,6-xylylacetamido)-γ-butyrolactone.

used to control diseases caused by phycomycetes, were extremely active in vitro against Pythium ultimum, Phytophthora nicotianae and Phytophthora palmivora. Sporangia production was reduced more than mycelial growth but germination of sporangia and zoospores was relatively unaffected. Less than 1% of the metalaxyl or furalaxyl, present in media at the ED₅₀ for hyphal growth, was firmly absorbed by Phyt. palmivora mycelium; uptake was against a concentration gradient and was characterised by a rapid accumulation followed by a more gradual release. Respiration and wall synthesis were not inhibited, whilst membrane permeability was unaffected. Lipid patterns were altered but these changes were probably of secondary importance. The fungicides inhibited protein and nucleic acid synthesis; RNA production was particularly affected. There was some evidence of a reduction in nuclear division. The primary effect of furalaxyl and metalaxyl probably involves impaired biosynthesis of RNA so that mitosis is inhibited; ofurace may act in the same way.     

膨胀素在果实完熟中的作用

 概述了细胞壁蛋白质膨胀素(Expansin)的发现、作用机制、基因家族、功能和研究现状。重点论述了膨胀素在果实完熟中的作用及其与细胞壁酶之间的相互关系，提出了利用转基因技术调节果实完熟和软化的新策略。关键词：中图分类号：     

Characterizing historical and modern fire regimes in Michigan (USA): A landscape ecosystem approach

We studied the relationships of landscape ecosystems to historical and contemporary fire regimes across 4.3 million hectares in northern lower Michigan (USA). Changes in fire regimes were documented by comparing historical fire rotations in different landscape ecosystems to those occurring between 1985 and 2000. Previously published data and a synthesis of the literature were used to identify six forest-replacement fire regime categories with fire rotations ranging from very short (<100 years) to very long (>1,000 years). We derived spatially-explicit estimates of the susceptibility of landscape ecosystems to fire disturbance using Landtype Association maps as initial units of investigation. Each Landtype Association polygon was assigned to a fire regime category based on associations of ecological factors known to influence fire regimes. Spatial statistics were used to interpolate fire points recorded by the General Land Office. Historical fire rotations were determined by calculating the area burned for each category of fire regime and dividing this area by fifteen (years) to estimate area burned per annum. Modern fire rotations were estimated using data on fire location and size obtained from federal and state agencies. Landtype Associations networked into fire regime categories exhibited differences in both historical and modern fire rotations. Historical rotations varied by 23-fold across all fire rotation categories, and modern forest fire rotations by 13-fold. Modern fire rotations were an order of magnitude longer than historical rotations. The magnitude of these changes has important implications for forest health and understanding of ecological processes in most of the fire rotation categories that we identified.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Preliminary results of an anticircumsporozoite DNA vaccine trial for protection against avian malaria in captive African black-footed penguins (Spheniscus demersus).

Captive juvenile African black-footed penguins (Spheniscus demersus) housed in an outdoor enclosure at the Baltimore Zoo have an average 50% mortality from avian malarial (Plasmodium sp.) infection each year without intense monitoring for disease and chemotherapeutic intervention. During the 1996 malaria transmission season, the safety and efficacy of an anti-circumsporozoite (CSP) DNA vaccine encoding the Plasmodium gallinaceum CSP protein against P. relictum were studied. The goal was to reduce clinical disease and death without initiating sterile immunity after release into an area with stable, endemic avian malaria. The birds were monitored for adverse clinical signs associated with vaccination, the stimulation of an anti-CSP antibody response, and protection afforded by the vaccine. The presence of P. relictum in trapped culicine mosquitoes within the penguin enclosure was monitored to assess parasite pressure. Among the vaccinated penguins, the parasitemia rate dropped from approximately 50% to approximately 17% despite intense parasite pressure, as determined by mosquito infection rate. During the year of the vaccine trial, no mortalities due to malaria occurred and no undesirable vaccination side effects occurred. This is the first trial of an antimalarial vaccine in a captive penguin colony.     

Analysis of a Secreted Aspartic Peptidase Disruption Mutant of Glomerella cingulata

Peptidases have been implicated in the pathogenicity of fungi that cause disease in plants. Expression of the secreted aspartic peptidase gene (gcsap), of a Glomerella cingulata isolate pathogenic on apples, is induced during appressorium formation. To determine whether the secreted aspartic peptidase (GcSAP) is essential to pathogenicity, gcsap was disrupted using a vector containing a 637 bp fragment of genomic DNA that encodes the sequence spanning the two active site aspartic acid (Asp) residues. To ensure that the truncated gcsap gene products could not have residual peptidase activity the codons for the active site residues Asp¹¹² and Asp²⁹⁷ were both mutated to histidine residues. Both PCR and Southern analysis confirmed disruption of gcsap. Neither gcsap mRNA nor GcSAP activity was detected in the disruption mutant. Pathogenicity tests on fruit from three apple cultivars showed that GcSAP was not required for pathogenicity. The disruption mutant grew on medium containing protein as the sole source of nitrogen because G. cingulata secretes a previously undetected peptidase(s). A serine peptidase that had a pH optimum between pH 7.0 and 8.0 and a K _m of 0.25 mM for the synthetic substrate succinyl-Ala–Ala–Pro–Phe-p-nitroanilide was identified.