Effects of physiological doses of vitamin D sub(3) (Cholecalciferol) on induced molting and growth in giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man)

Effects of three different doses of vitamin D sub(3) on molting, growth, and calcium and phosphate composition of tissue and molt during the grow-out of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (average weight 10.56 ± 0.20 g), obtained from a grow-out pond, were studied. Intramuscular doses of vitamin D sub(3) (100, 500 and 2000 IU/kg body weight) were given on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 20th, 25th and 30th days. All the experimental animals were fed with a basal diet containing fish meal, shrimp meal, wheat flour, groundnut de-oiled cake, soybean meal and wheat bran at 3% of the body weight. The numbers of molts were recorded as 20±0.50, 29±1.16, 51±1.87, and 30±1.60 in control, 100, 500 and 2000 IU/kg body weight physiological doses, respectively. Maximum growth was recorded in prawns given 500 IU/ kg dose. Survival was between 58.33 ± 9.13 and 77.77 ± 8.61%. The ash content and calcium level increased significantly (p<0.05) and recorded the highest values in 500 IU/kg physiological dose. However, the inorganic phosphate (P sub(i)) content recorded the highest values in tissue in 2000 IU/kg dose (p<0.05, F = 50.60613). There is no significant difference in calcium contents (p>0.05) in both tissue and molt at 500 and 2000 IU/kg doses. It was found that a higher physiological dose (2000 IU/kg) of vitamin D sub(3) increased the rate of mortality. Results have shown that vitamin D sub(3) has a positive impact on the growth and survival of M. rosenbergii and it interferes with the metabolism of Ca and P sub(i), in tissue, and alters molting frequency. Results on physiological dose suggest an alternative and effective dietary supplementation method of vitamin D sub(3) in the grow-out phase of M. rosenbergii.

Identification of novel semenogelin I-derived antimicrobial peptide from liquefied human seminal plasma

Semenogelin I (SgI) is one of the most abundant proteins in human seminal plasma. SgI plays a key role in sperm coagulation and spermatozoon immobilization. in addition, SgI and/or its proteolytic fragments are involved in regulating spermatozoon motility

A hot channel

This paper studies on-chip communication with non-ideal heat sinks. A channel model is proposed where the variance of the additive noise depends on the weighted sum of the past channel input powers. It is shown that, depending on the weights, the capacity can be either bounded or unbounded in the input power. A necessary condition and a sufficient condition for the capacity to be bounded are presented. © 2007 IEEE.

Responses to seasonal changes in nutrient quality and patchiness of food in a multigroup community of Tibetan macaques at Mt. Emei

Provisioning along pedestrian trails by tourists much increased the nutrient quality and patchiness of food (NqPF)for Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) at Mt Emei in spring and summer. In the habitat at a temperate-subtropical transition zone, the mncaque's NqPF could be ordered in a decreasing rank from spring summer to autumn to winter With the aid of a radio-tracking system, I collected ranging data on a multigroup community in three 70-day periods representing the different seasons in 1991-92, Rank-order correlation on the data show that with the decline of NqPF; the groups tended to increase days away from the trail, their effective range size (ERS) their exclusive area (EA) and the number of days spent in the EA, and reduced their group/community density and the ratio of the overlapped range to the seasonal range (ROR). In icy/snowy winter; the macaques searched for mature leaves slowly and carefully in the largest seasonal range with a considerable portion that was nor used in other seasons. Of the responses, the ROR decreased with the reduction in group/community density; and the ERS was the function of both group size (+) and intergroup rank (-) when favorite food was highly clumped. All above responses were clearly bound to maximize foraging effectiveness and minimize energy expenditure, and their integration in term of changes in time and space leads to better understanding macaque ecological adaptability. Based on this study and previous work on behavioral and physiological factors, I suggest a unifying theory of intergroup interactions. Ir! addition, as the rate of behavioral interactions,was also related to the group density, I Waser's (1976) gas model probably applies to behavioral, as well as spatial, data on intergroup interactions.

The evolution of information while building cross-domain models of a design: A video experiment

Models capturing the connectivity between different domains of a design, e.g. between components and functions, can provide a tool for tracing and analysing aspects of that design. In this paper, video experiments are used to explore the role of cross-domain modelling in building up information about a design. The experiments highlight that cross-domain modelling can be a useful tool to create and structure design information. Findings suggest that consideration of multiple domains encourages discussion during modelling, helps identify design aspects that might otherwise be overlooked, and can help promote consideration of alternative design options. Copyright © 2002-2012 The Design Society. All rights reserved.

A backward-simulation based Rao-Blackwellized particle smoother for conditionally linear Gaussian models

In this article, we develop a new Rao-Blackwellized Monte Carlo smoothing algorithm for conditionally linear Gaussian models. The algorithm is based on the forward-filtering backward-simulation Monte Carlo smoother concept and performs the backward simulation directly in the marginal space of the non-Gaussian state component while treating the linear part analytically. Unlike the previously proposed backward-simulation based Rao-Blackwellized smoothing approaches, it does not require sampling of the Gaussian state component and is also able to overcome certain normalization problems of two-filter smoother based approaches. The performance of the algorithm is illustrated in a simulated application. © 2012 IFAC.

Linear semiconductor optical amplifiers

The chapter reviews properties and applications of linear semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA). Section 12.1 covers SOA basics, including working principles, material systems, structures and their growth. Booster or inline amplifiers as well as low-noise preamplifiers are classified. Section 12.2 discusses the influence of parameters like gain, noise figure, gain saturation, gain and phase dynamics, and alpha-factor. In Sect. 12.3, the application of a linear SOA as a reach extender in future access networks is addressed. The input power dynamic range is introduced, and measurements for on-off keying and phase shift keying signals are shown. Section 12.4 presents the state of the art for commercially available SOA and includes a treatment of reflective SOAs (RSOA) as well. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

高原浅水湖泊沉积物中磷、氮形态化学研究

以滇池马村湾和海东湾为研究对象,对其沉积物-间隙水-上覆水三界面中的磷、氮形态作研究,其中钙结合态磷占的比例最大,其次是有机/细菌聚合态磷和残渣磷;总氮含量很高,平均值为2.63mg/g,而亚硝酸盐氮含量很低,其它三种无机氮形态(硝酸盐氮、亚硝酸盐氮和氨氮)之间并不存在恒定的化学计量关系,这主要是无机氮循环还受水体和沉积物中有机氮的影响。调查还表明沉积物中Fe-P含量与间隙水中溶解性磷酸盐磷有着较好的线性关系,沉积物中Fe-P含量与间隙水Eh呈对数关系。

大眼华鳊和伍氏华鳊的形态差异及其物种有效性

分别对大眼华鳊和伍氏华鳊 137尾标本 7个可数性状和 18个可量性状进行主成分分析 ,以探讨这两个种之间的形态差异及其物种有效性。研究结果显示 :无论是在可数性状上还是可量性状上 ,大眼华鳊和伍氏华鳊之间的形态差异并不显著 ,而且大眼华鳊大陆的标本和台湾的标本无明显的不同。此表明 ,大眼华鳊和伍氏华鳊应该为同一个种。根据国际动物命名法规 ,伍氏华鳊应是大眼华鳊的次定同物异名。

碳酸酐酶在中肋骨条藻光合作用中的作用(英文)

探讨了在正常空气条件下生长的中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)的碳酸酐酶(CA)在其光合固碳中的作用。在中肋骨条藻的胞内和胞外均有CA活性,但胞外CA活性很低。CA抑制剂AZ(乙酰唑磺胺)对中肋骨条藻的光合放氧速率没有明显影响,而CA抑制剂EZ(乙氧苯唑胺)对其光合放氧速率有强烈的抑制作用。EZ的抑制作用使细胞最大光合速率、饱和光强和无机碳亲和力下降,无机碳的补偿点和光呼吸提高,使强光下光抑制作用增强。这些结果表明:中肋骨条藻的胞外CA在其光合作用中所起的作用较小,而其胞内CA通过催化