Sizes of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) consumed by the eastern stock of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Southeast Alaska from 1994 to 1999

Lengths of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) consumed by Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) were estimated by using allometric regressions applied to seven diagnostic cranial structures recovered from 531 scats collected in Southeast Alaska between 1994 and 1999. Only elements in good and fair condition were selected. Selected structural measurements were corrected for loss of size due to erosion by using experimentally derived condition-specific digestion correction factors. Correcting for digestion increased the estimated length of fish consumed by 23%, and the average mass of fish consumed by 88%. Mean corrected fork length (FL) of pollock consumed was 42.4 ±11.6 cm (range=10.0−78.1 cm, n=909). Adult pollock (FL>45.0 cm) occurred more frequently in scats collected from rookeries along the open ocean coastline of Southeast Alaska during June and July (74% adults, mean FL=48.4 cm) than they did in scats from haul-outs located in inside waters between October and May (51% adults, mean FL=38.4 cm). Overall, the contribution of juvenile pollock (≤20 cm) to the sea lion diet was insignificant; whereas adults contributed 44% to the diet by number and 74% by mass. On average, larger pollock were eaten in summer at rookeries throughout Southeast Alaska than at rookeries in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. Overall it appears that Steller sea lions are capable of consuming a wide size range of pollock, and the bulk of fish fall between 20 and 60 cm. The use of cranial hard parts other than otoliths and the application of digestion correction factors are fundamental to correctly estimating the sizes of prey consumed by sea lions and determining the extent that these sizes overlap with the sizes of pollock caught by commercial fisheries.

National Agricultural Research Organisation. Fisheries Resources Research Institute Annual Report 1999/2000

Lake Victoria shoreline in Jinja Municipality has four urban wetlands of Kirinya West/Loco, Kirinya East/Walukuba, Masese and Budumbuli which have undergone major changes during the past fifty years due to increased human activities. Amongst these activities is the continuous inflow of agricultural run-off, industrial and municipal wastewater. A significant increase in nutrient loads of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from the catchment area continues to enhance eutrophication of Lake Victoria. Pollution from point sources (Industrial plants and NWSC Kirinya final maturation pond) into Jinja’s urban wetlands were therefore studied using a simplified material flux analysis methodology to identify the active elements and estimate the pollution loads due to Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Carbon (nutrients), Chromium, Copper, Lead, Nickel and Manganese metals.

蝮亚科几种毒蛇的染色体初步研究

目的　研究我国蝮亚科蝮属尖吻蝮、蝮蛇、雪山蝮3 种蝮蛇和烙铁头属竹叶青、烙铁头的染色体。 方法　给蛇体按1mgökg 蝮腔注射秋水仙素, 5～ 7h 后活体取肋骨、睾丸等组织样品进行细胞染色体检测。 结果　5 种蝮蛇的染色体为2 n = 36。结论　蝮亚科两个属的染色体数目是恒定的, 说明其进化上的保守 性, 可能它们的祖先是单一的。

A novel proline rich bombesin-related peptide (PR-bombesin) from toad Bombina maxima

A novel bombesin-related peptide was isolated from skin secretions of Chinese red belly toad Bombina maxima. Its primary structure was established as pGlu-Lys-Lys-Pro-Pro-Arg-Pro-Pro-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Phe-Met-NH2. The amino-terminal (N-terminal) 8-residue segment comprising four prolines and three basic residues is extensively different from bombesins from other Bombina species. The peptide was thus named proline rich bombesin (PR-bombesin). PR-bumbesin was found to elicit concentration-dependent contractile effects in the rat stomach strip, with both increased potency and intrinsic activity as compared with those of [Leu(13)]bombesin. Analysis of different bombesin cDNA structures revealed that an 8 to 14- nucleotide fragment replacement in the peptide coding region (TGGGGAAT in the cDNAs of multiple bombesin forms from Bombina orientalis and CACCCCGGCCACCC in the cDNA of PR-bombesin) resulted in an unusual Pro-Pro-Arg-Pro-Pro motif in the N-terminal part of PR-bombesin. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct antimicrobial activities of PR-bombesin

PR-bombesin is a bombesin-like peptide derived from the skin of tile Chinese red belly toad, Bombina maxima. The 8-residue segment of N-terminal of RP-bombesin, comprising four prolines and three basic residues, is extensively different front other bombes

A PCR-based RFLP analysis of Sarcocystis cruzi (Protozoa : Sarcocystidae) in Yunnan province, PR china, reveals the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) as a natural intermediate host

A polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) approach is used to examine Sarcocystis cruzi-like taxa from the atypical intermediate host, water buffalo, in Yunnan, People's Republic of China. The loci examined lie with