Compensatory growth and food consumption in gibel carp, Carassius auratus gibelio, and Chinese longsnout catfish, Leiocassis longirostris, experiencing cycles of feed deprivation and re-feeding

The compensatory responses of juvenile gibel carp and Chinese longsnout catfish to four cycles of 1 part of a study designed to determine feeding regimes that would maximise growth rates. Both species showed compensatory growth in the re-feeding periods. The compensation was not sufficient for the deprived fish to match the growth trajectories of controls fed to satiation daily. The compensatory growth response was more clearly defined in the later cycles. The deprived fish showed hyperphagia during the 2-week periods of re-feeding and the hyperphagic response was clearer in the later cycles. The hyperphagia tended to persist for both weeks of the re-feeding period. The gibel carp showed no difference in gross growth efficiency between deprived and control fish. In the catfish, the gross growth efficiency of the deprived fish was marginally higher than that of control fish, but the efficiency varied erratically from week to week. Over the experiment, the deprived fish achieved growth rates 75-80% of those shown by control fish, although fed at a frequency of 66%. There was no evidence of growth over-compensation with the deprivation-re-feeding protocol used in this study. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic divergence between Cyprinus carpio carpio and Cyprinus carpio haematopterus as assessed by mitochondrial DNA analysis, with emphasis on origin of European domestic carp

Although common carp is the major fish species in Asian and European aquaculture and many domestic varieties have occurred, there is a controversy about the origination of European domestic common carp. Some scientists affirmed that the ancestor of European domestic common carp was Danube River wild common carp, but others considered it might be Asian common carp. For elucidating origination of European domestic common carp, we chose two representative European domestic common carp strains (German mirror carp and Russian scattered scaled mirror carp) and one wild common carp strain of Cyprinus carpio carpio subspecies (Volga River wild common carp) and two Asian common carp strains, the Yangtze River wild common carp (Cyprinus carpio haematopterus) and traditionally domestic Xingguo red common carp, as experimental materials. ND5-ND6 and D-loop segments of mitochondrial DNA were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and analyzed through restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequencing respectively. The results revealed that HaeIII and DdeI digestion patterns of ND5-ND6 segment and sequences of control region were different between European subspecies C. carpio carpio and Asian subspecies C. carpio haematopterus. Phylogenetic analysis showed that German mirror carp and Russian scattered scaled mirror carp belonged to two subspecies, C. carpio carpio and C. carpio haematopterus, respectively. Therefore, there were different ancestors for domestic carp in Europe: German mirror carp was domesticated from European subspecies C. carpio carpio and Russian scattered scaled mirror carp originated from Asian subspecies C. carpio haematopterus.

Influence of dioxin and metal-contaminated sediment on phase I and II biotransformation enzymes in silver crucian carp

Several biochemical responses were measured in silver crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) after exposure to sediments obtained from contaminated Ya-Er Lake, No, 1 pond, and an unpolluted reference site, Honglian Lake. After 1 week of exposure, a significant induction of the phase I biotransformation enzyme (ethoxylresorufin-o-deethylase, EROD) was found (83-fold of control), whereas the phase II biotransformation enzyme (glutathione S-transferase, GST) exhibited a slight, but significant induction (1,4-fold of control) after 4 weeks of exposure. The level of cellular glutathione in the liver was also slightly elevated after 4 weeks of exposure. The delayed response of GST to the contaminants indicates that the phase I and phase II biotransformation enzymes are regulated differently in fish. The results suggest that EROD is a sensitive bioindicator to assess the toxicity of dioxin-contamined sediment in the laboratory, (C) 1998 Academic Press.

Structural properties of SI-GaAs grown in space

The structural properties of Semi-insulating gallium arsenide (SI-GaAs) crystal grown with power-travelling technique in space have been studied by double-crystal x-ray diffractometry and chemical etching. The quality of the crystal was first evaluated by x-ray rocking-curve method. The full width at half maximum of x-ray rocking curve in space-grown SI-GaAs is 9.4+/-0.08 are seconds. The average density of dislocations revealed by molten KOH is 2.0 X 10(4) cm(-2), and the highest density is 3.1 X 10(4) cm(-2). The stoichiometry in the single crystal grown in space is improved as well. Unfortunately, the rear of the ingot grown in space is polycrystalline owing to being out of control of power. (C) 1999 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Set invariance in control

The properties of positively invariant sets are involved in many different problems in control theory, such as constrained control, robustness analysis, synthesis and optimization. In this paper we provide an overview of the literature concerning positively invariant sets and their application to the analysis and synthesis of control systems.

Structural properties of SI-GaAs grown in space

The structural properties of Semi-insulating gallium arsenide (SI-GaAs) crystal grown with power-travelling technique in space have been studied by double-crystal x-ray diffractometry and chemical etching. The quality of the crystal was first evaluated by x-ray rocking-curve method. The full width at half maximum of x-ray rocking curve in space-grown SI-GaAs is 9.4+/-0.08 are seconds. The average density of dislocations revealed by molten KOH is 2.0 X 10(4) cm(-2), and the highest density is 3.1 X 10(4) cm(-2). The stoichiometry in the single crystal grown in space is improved as well. Unfortunately, the rear of the ingot grown in space is polycrystalline owing to being out of control of power. (C) 1999 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Molecular dynamics and control following excitation with an ultra-short intense laser pulse

Vibronic excitations of the tri-atomic molecule OClO (A(2)A(2)(nu(1), nu(2), nu(3)) <-- (XB1)-B-2 (0, 0, 0)) with weak and strong ultra-short laser fields are studied within full quantum wavepacket dynamics in hyperspherical coordinates. Different dynamics is observed following excitation with laser pulses of different intensities. With a strong laser pulse, many vibrational states are excited and a spatially more localised wavepacket arises. The numerical results show that the population of different vibrational states of the wavepacket on the excited potential energy surface is altered by the intensity of the laser pulse. The numerical results also suggest a related effect on the phase of the wavepacket. These interesting phenomena can be understood by an analysis of the corresponding results for two model diatomic molecules. The possible physical mechanisms of control of chemical processes using strong laser fields are discussed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photochemical synthesis and self-assembly of gold nanoparticles

Colloidal gold was prepared by UV light irradiation of the mixture of HAuCl4 aqueous solution and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) ethanol solution in the presence of silver ions. The resulting sheet-like nanoparticles were found to self-assemble into nanoflowers by a centrifuging process. The results of control experiments reflected that only suitable size sheet-like nanoparticles could assemble into the flower-like structures. The presence of Ag ions and PVP are essential for the formation process of nanoflowers.

One-step synthesis of gold-polyaniline core-shell particles

A one-step method has been developed for synthesizing gold-polyaniline (Au@PANI) core-shell particles by using chlorauric acid (HAuCl4) to oxidize aniline in the presence of acetic acid and Tween 40 at room temperature. SEM images indicated that the resulting core-shell particles were composed of submicrometre-scale Au particles and PANI shells with an average thickness of 25 nm. Furthermore, a possible mechanism concerning the growth of Au@PANI particles was also proposed based on the results of control experiments.

Thermal analysis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) irradiated under vacuum

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) was irradiated by Co-60 gamma-rays (doses of 50, 100 and 200kGy) under vacuum. The thermal analysis of control and irradiated PHBV, under vacuum was carried out by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The tensile properties of control and irradiated PHBV were examined by using an Instron tensile testing machine. In the thermal degradation of control and irradiated PHBV, a one-step weight loss was observed. The derivative thermogravimetric curves of control and irradiated PHBV confirmed only one weight-loss step change. The onset degradation temperature (T-o) and the temperature of maximum weight-loss rate (T-p) of control and irradiated PHBV were in line with the heating rate (degreesC min(-1)). T-o and T-p of PHBV decreased with increasing radiation dose at the same heating rate. The DSC results showed that Co-60 gamma-radiation significantly affected the thermal properties of PHBV. With increasing radiation dose, the melting temperature (T-m) of PHBV shifted to a lower value, due to the decrease in crystal size. The tensile strength and fracture strain of the irradiated PHBV decreased, hence indicating an increased brittleness.

Carboxyl-cored dendrimer and toluene-assisted fabrication of uniform platinum nanodendrites at a water/oil interface and their potential application as a catalyst

Uniform platinum nanodendrites have been prepared at a water/oil interface by a facile catalyst-free method at room temperature. This is carried out by introducing NaBH4 into the platinum precursor solution in the presence of the second generation of carboxyl-cored dendrimer ([G-2]-CO2H dendrimer) and toluene to act as a protective agent and a linker, respectively. The average fractal dimension of 1.61 of the obtained platinum nanodendrites is calculated by analysing the transmission electron micrographs using the programs Fractal Dimension Version 1.1 and Fractal Dimension Calculator. Control experiments show that the fabrication of platinum nanodendrites can be operated with a wide parameter window, which undoubtedly raises the degree of control of the synthesis process. The potential application of such a nanostructure as a catalyst is investigated, and the results reveal that they show highly efficient catalytic properties for the typical redox reaction between hexacyanoferrate (III) and thiosulfate ions at 301 K.

Effect of lanthanum on expression of recombinant allophycocyanin gene in Pichia pastotis

The enhancing effect of lanthanum on gene expression of recombinant allophycocyanin (rAPC), a potential antitumor medicine, in Pichia pastoris was studied. PCR and sequence analysis were used in order to prove whether the APC gene had integrated into the yeast genome. The expression level of the recombinant allophycocyanin (rAPC) in BMMY medium containing LaCl3 was detected by ELISA method. The recombinant allophycocyanin was determined by Western blot. The results show that the recombinant Pichia pastoris chromosome contained allophycocyanin gene. Expression efficiency of rAPC gene in Pichia pastoris was promoted by proper LaCl3 concentration like 2, 5, 10 mmol (.) L-1, among which 5 mmol (.) L-1 was the most effective. The highest expression yield of rAPC in the BMMY medium containing 5 mmol (.) L-1 LaCl3 was 4.4 mg (.) L-1 at 48 h, that was increased by 110% compared with 2.1 mg (.) L-1 of control, in the meantime, the optimum culture time is shortened from 72 to 48 h. The result of western blot analysis indicates that the rAPC consisted of two kinds of subunits with molecular weight of 19 and 21 kDa respectively.

Screening of salt tolerant watercress variants on natural seawater contained medium

The responses of stem segments of watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.) to 6-BA,NAA and 2,4-D were studied. MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/L 6-BA, 0.2 mg/L 2,4-D was used for callus initiation and maintenance. MS medium supplemented with 4.0 mg/L 6-BA was suitable for plant regeneration and MS medium without plant hormone supplement was used for rooting and plant propagation. For screening of salt tolerant calli, stem segments of watercress were plated onto callus initiation medium containing 1/3 natural seawater. Seventeen out of the 325 plated explants produced calli. The growth curves demonstrated that the growth rate of salt-tolerant calli on saline medium almost matched that of the control calli on normal medium. Some of the salt-tolerant calli were transferred to the normal regeneration medium or saline regeneration medium to induce plant regeneration. In the first case, buds and shoots were regenerated in the same way as those of control calli on normal regeneration medium. More than 1 000 regenerated shoots were obtained of which 83 regenerated shoots were cut and transferred to saline MS base medium. At first, all shoot growth was inhibited, but 40 days after the transfer, rapid-growing axillary shoots were observed on 16 of the original shoots but none on the control shoots on saline MS base medium. Moreover, green spots appeared on most calli 10 days after they were transferred to saline medium, however buds appeared only on 5 calli from the 30 transferred calli and at the end only 2 rapid-growing shoots were obtained from two calli. In total, 18 variant lines were obtained through. propagation of the salt-tolerant shoots on saline MS base medium. RAPD analysis was performed in 10 of the 18 salt-tolerant variant lines and DNA variation was detected in all the tested variant lines.

Effect of ultraviolet irradiation on sperm of the left-eyed flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus

In this study, at proper dosage of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (180 sec: 36,000 erg/mm(2)), sperm chromosomes of left-eyed flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, were inactivated, while spermatozoa maintained ability to move and inseminate eggs. Gynogenetic haploids were detected by morphological observation, chromosome counting, and flow cytometer analysis. The ultrastructure of treated sperm was observed under scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and transmission electronic microscope (TEM). The results showed that after being irradiated at lower dosage of irradiation (0-180 sec: 0-36,000 erg/mm(2)), the surface structure of spermatozoa was not affected by UV irradiation, while the inner structures including membrane system and karyoplasm denseness of treated spermatozoa were little changed. However, obvious changes were observed in their membrane system, mitochondria, and nucleus if the dosage of irradiation increased to 240 sec: 48,000 erg/mm(2) or 300 sec: 60,000 erg/mm(2). The sperm survival rates did not change at the lower dosages of the UV irradiation (0-180 sec: 0-36,000 erg/mm(2)) but decreased as the irradiation dosage increased. The motility of treated sperm was lower than that of control group in general but did not change with UV irradiation dosage increasing at the certain range of 0-300 sec: 0-60,000 erg/mm(2).

Production of a base population and its responses to F-1 selection in the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians irradians Lamarck (1819)

A base population of the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians irradians Lamarck, was produced by crossing two cultured bay scallop populations. After 1 year of rearing, the top 10% truncation selection of the top 10% (i=1.755) was carried out in the base population of about 1300 adults. A control parental group with a an identical number to the select parental group was randomly selected from the entire population before isolation of the select parental group. The result showed that, at the larval stage, the growth rate of larvae in the selected line was significantly higher than that of the control (P < 0.05), and that the genetic gain was 6.78%. Owing to the lower density of control at the spat stage, the mean shell length of the control line was larger than that of the select line at day 100. When the same density was adjusted between two lines in the grow-out stage (from day 100 to 160), the daily growth rate of the selected line was significantly higher than that of the control line (P < 0.05). Survival of the select line was significantly larger than that of the control line in the grow-out stage. In conclusion, the results obtained from this experiment indicate that selective breeding from a base population with a high genetic diversity established by mass spawning between different populations appears to be a promising method of genetic improvement in bay scallop, A. irradians irradians Lamarck.