Effects of temperature and delayed initial feeding on the survival and growth of Japanese flounder larvae

The effects of the timing of initial feeding (0, 1, 2 3 and 4 days after yolk exhaustion) and temperature (15, 18 and 21degrees C) on the point-of-no-return (PNR), survival and growth of laboratory-reared Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus larvae were studied under controlled conditions. The larvae reached PNR on 7(.)7, 5(.)2 and 4(.)2 days-post-hatching (dph) at 15, 18 and 2 V C, respectively. At each temperature, larval growth did not differ significantly among the delayed initial feedings 1 day before PNR but decreased significantly in larvae first fed after that. In the treatments where initial feeding was equally delayed, larvae grew significantly faster at 18 and 21degrees C than at 15degrees C. The larvae survived apparently better at 15 and 18degrees C than at 21degrees C when initial feeding was equally delayed. At each temperature, survival of the larvae first fed before PNR did not differ noticeably, while delayed initial feeding after that apparently reduced their survival. These results indicated that there existed a negatively temperature-dependent PNR in the Japanese flounder larvae. Survival and growth of the larvae strongly depended on temperature as well as the timing of initial feeding. High temperature accelerated the yolk exhaustion and growth of the larvae and thus reduced their starvation tolerance and survival. To avoid potential starvation mortality and obtain good growth, the Japanese flounder larvae must establish successful initial feeding within 2 days after yolk exhaustion at 15degrees C and within 1 day at both 18 and 21degrees C. (C) 2005 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Effects of single and mixed diatom diets on the reproduction of copepod Calanus sinicus

Under laboratory conditions, the potential influence of diatom diets on reproduction of zoo-plankton Calanus sinicus was studied. Four diatom diet ingredients: Skeletonema costatum (SC), Chaetoceros muelleri (CM), Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT), diatom mixture (MIX) and a control diet: the flagellate Platymonas subordiformis (PS), were used at the same carbon concentrations of 2.0 mu g mL(-1) C. In a period of 17-day laboratory experiment, the effects of these algae diets on egg production and hatching success of the copepod Calanus sinicus were examined. The diets were analyzed for fatty acid content as an indicator of food quality. The results showed that the female survival of all treatments reached more than 80% except PT. Comparing to the initial value, egg production of Calanus sinicus was reduced in diatom diets (PT, CM), but remained in normal level in SC and MIX, indicating that some single diatom diets had a negative effect on the egg production of Calanus sinicus. Feeding with mixed food however can eliminate this negative effect. Among all the treatments, hatching success in filtered seawater was significantly higher than in algal exudates, indicating that not only diatoms but also other phytoplankton in certain concentration can release extracelluar substance that may inhibit eggs from hatching. Fatty acid analysis showed that both egg production rate and hatching success were negatively correlated to the ratio of 20:5 omega 3 and 14:0 in fatty acid composition.

Effects of macroalgae Ulva pertusa (Chlorophyta) and Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta) on growth of four species of bloom-forming dinoflagellates

The effects of fresh thalli and culture medium filtrates from two species of marine macroalgae, Ulva pertusa Kjellm (Chlorophyta) and Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Bory) Dawson (Rhodophyta), on growth of marine microalgae were investigated in co-culture under controlled laboratory conditions. A selection of microalgal species were used, all, being identified as bloom-forming dinoflagellates: Prorocentrum donghaiense Lu sp., Alexandrium tamarense (Lebour) Balech, Amphidinium carterae Hulburt and Scrippsiella trochoide (Stein) Loeblich III. Results showed that the fresh thalli of either U. pertusa or G. lemaneiformis significantly inhibited the microalgal growth, or caused mortality at the end of the experiment. However, the overall effects of the macroalgal culture filtrates on the growth of the dinoflagellates were species-specific (inhibitory, stimulatory or none) for different microalgal species. Results indicated an allelopathic effect of macroalga on the co-cultured dinoflagellate. We then took P. donghaiense as an example to further assess this hypothesis. The present study was carried out under controlled conditions, thereby excluded the fluctuation in light and temperature. Nutrient assays showed that nitrate and phosphate were almost exhausted in G. lemaneiformis co-culture. but remained at enough high levels in U pertusa co-culture, which were well above the nutrient limitation for the microalgal growth, when all cells of P. donghaiense were killed in the co-culture. Daily f/2 medium enrichment greatly alleviated the growth inhibition on P. donghaiense in G. lemaneiformis co-culture, but could not eliminate it. Other environmental factors, such as carbonate limitation, bacterial presence and the change of pH were also not necessary for the results. We thus concluded that allelopathy was the most possible reason leading to the negative effect of U. pertusa on P. donghaiense, and the combined roles of allelopathy and nutrient competition were essential for the effect of G. lemaneiformis on P. donghaiense. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate and sodium dodecyl sulfate on the Mytilus galloprovincialis biomarker system

The effects of in vivo exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis to two anionic surfactants (SDBS and SDS) on the molecular biomarker system were studied. After continuous exposure for 72 days, activities/levels of GST, GPx and GSH were significantly higher than in corresponding control groups following exposure to 3.000 mg/L SDS and SDBS. Activities of SOD and CAT were significantly inhibited by experimental SDBS (except CAT in 0.100 mg/L group), but not by SDS. Statistical analysis of enzyme activities/levels suggested that there were significant positive relationships between GST and GPx, and negative relationships were found between GSH and CAT, GSH and SOD. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) results showed that a greater genotoxic effect was observed for SDBS than for SDS. Based on the above results, the biomarker system of mussels can be affected by the two anionic surfactants (>= 3.000 mg/L); it was more easily affected by SDBS than by SDS. Crown Copyright (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The influence of diets containing dried bivalve feces and/or powdered algae on growth and energy distribution in sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) (Echinodermata : Holothuroidea)

In recent years, bivalve feces and powdered algae have been used as the food sources of holothurians in China. In this study, growth and energy budget for sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) with initial wet body,veights of 32.5 1.0 g (mean +/- SE, n=45) when fed with five different granule diets containing dried bivalve feces and/or powdered algae in water temperature 13.2-19.8 degrees C and salinity 30-32ppt were quantified in order to investigate how diets influence growth and energy distribution and to find out the proper diet for land-based intensive culture of this species. Results showed that diets affected the food ingestion, feces production, food conversion efficiency and apparent digestive ratios, hence the growth and energy budget. Sea cucumbers fed with dried feces of bivalve showed poorer energy absorption, assimilation and growth than individuals fed with other four diets; this could be because feces-drying process removed much of the benefits. Dried bivalve feces alone, therefore, were not a suitable diet for sea cucumbers in intensive cultivation. The mixed diets of feces and powered algae showed promising results for cultivation of sub-adult Apostichopus japonicus, while animals fed with powdered algae alone, could not obtain the best growth. According to SGR of tested animals, a formula of 75% feces and 25% powdered algae is the best diet for culture of this species. Extruded diets were used in the present experiment to overcome shortcomings of the traditional powdered feeds, however, it seems a conflict exists between drying bivalve feces to form extruded diets and feeding sea cucumbers with fresh feces which contain beneficial bacteria. Compared with other echinoderms, in holothurians the energy deposited in growth is lower and the energy loss in feces accounts for the majority of the ingested energy. Such detailed information could be helpful in further development of more appropriate diets for culture of holothurians. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Corrosion behaviour of hot dip zinc and zinc-aluminium coatings on steel in seawater

A comparative investigation of hot dip Zn-25Al alloy, Zn-55Al-Si and Zn coatings on steel was performed with attention to their corrosion performance in seawater. The results of 2-year exposure testing of these at Zhoushan test site are reported here. In tidal and immersion environments, Zn-25Al alloy coating is several times more durable than zinc coating of double thickness. At long exposure times, corrosion rate for the Zn-25Al alloy coating remains indistinguishable from that for the Zn-55Al-Si coating of similar thickness in tidal zone, and is two to three times lower than the latter in immersion zone. The decrease in tensile strength suggested that galvanized and Zn-55Al-Si coated steel suffer intense pitting corrosion in immersion zone. The electrochemical tests showed that all these coatings provide cathodic protection to the substrate metal; the galvanic potentials are equal to - 1,050, - 1,025 and - 880 mV (SCE) for zinc, Zn-25Al alloy and Zn-55Al-Si coating, respectively, which are adequate to keep the steel inside the immunity region. It is believed that the superior performance of the Zn-25Al alloy coating is due to its optimal combination of the uniform corrosion resistance and pitting corrosion resistance. The inferior corrosion performance by comparison of the Zn coating mainly results from its larger dissolution rate, while the failure of the Zn-55Al-Si coating is probably related to its higher susceptibility to pitting corrosion in seawater.

Synthesis and quantum-chemistry analysis on novel triazole compounds containing ester group

Nine novel triazole compounds containing ester group were designed and synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by elemental, H-1 NMR and IR analyses, and optimized by means of DFT (Density Functional Theory) method at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. Based on the quantum-chemical calculation results and the Pearson coefficients between FA and quantumchemical parameters, V, LogP, MR and E-HOMO are shown to be the important relative factors which affect FA of the title compounds.

Docking and molecular dynamics study on the inhibitory activity of coumarins on aldose reductase

In order to explore the inhibitory mechanism of coumarins toward aldose reductase (ALR2), AutoDock and Gromacs software were used for docking and molecular dynamics studies on 14 coumarins (CM) and ALR2 protease. The docking results indicate that residues TYR48, HIS110, and TRP111 construct the active pocket of ALR2 and, besides van der Waals and hydrophobic interaction, CM mainly interact with ALR2 by forming hydrogen bonds to cause inhibitory behavior. Except for CM1, all the other coumarins take the lactone part as acceptor to build up the hydrogen bond network with active-pocket residues. Unlike CM3, which has two comparable binding modes with ALR2, most coumarins only have one dominant orientation in their binding sites. The molecular dynamics calculation, based on the docking results, implies that the orientations of CM in the active pocket show different stabilities. Orientation of CM1 and CM3a take an unstable binding mode with ALR2; their conformations and RMSDs relative to ALR2 change a lot with the dynamic process. While the remaining CM are always hydrogen-bonded with residues TYR48 and HIS110 through the carbonyl O atom of the lactone group during the whole process, they retain the original binding mode and gradually reach dynamic equilibrium.

Theoretical investigation on the adsorption of Ag+ and hydrated Ag+ cations on clean Si(111) surface

In this paper, the adsorption of Ag+ and hydrated Ag+ cations on clean Si(111) surface were investigated by using cluster (Gaussian 03) and periodic (DMol(3)) ab initio calculations. Si(111) surface was described with cluster models (Si14H17 and Si22H21) and a four-silicon layer slab with periodic boundary conditions. The effect of basis set superposition error (BSSE) was taken into account by applying the counterpoise correction. The calculated results indicated that the binding energies between hydrated Ag+ cations and clean Si(111) surface are large, suggesting a strong interaction between hydrated Ag+ cations and the semiconductor surface. With the increase of number, water molecules form hydrogen bond network with one another and only one water molecule binds directly to the Ag+ cation. The Ag+ cation in aqueous solution will safely attach to the clean Si(111) surface.

Molecular systematics and biogeography of Crawfurdia, Metagentiana and Tripterospermum (Gentianaceae) based on nuclear ribosomal and plastid DNA sequences

Background and Aims The systematic position of the genus Metagentiana and its phylogenetic relationships with Crawfurdia, Gentiana and Tripterospermum have not been explicitly addressed. These four genera belong to one of two subtribes (Gentianinae) of Gentianeae. The aim of this paper is to examine the systematic position of Crawfurdia, Metagentiana and Tripterospermum and to clarify their phylogenetic affinities more clearly using ITS and trnL intron sequences.Methods Nucleotide sequences from the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA and the plastid DNA trnL (UAA) intron were analysed phylogenetically. Ten of fourteen Metagentiana species were sampled, together with 40 species of other genera in the subtribe Gentianinae.Key Results The data support several previously published conclusions relating to the separation of Metagentiana from Gentiana and its closer relationships to Crawfurdia and Tripterospermum based on studies of gross morphology, floral anatomy, chromosomes, palynology, embryology and previous molecular data. The molecular clock hypothesis for the tested sequences in subtribe Gentianinae was not supported by the data (P < 0.05), so the clock-independent non-parametric rate smoothing method was used to estimate divergence time. This indicates that the separation of Crawfurdia, Metagentiana and Tripterospermum from Gentiana occurred about 11.4-21.4 Mya (million years ago), and the current species of these three genera diverged at times ranging from 0.4 to 6.2 Mya.Conclusions The molecular analyses revealed that Crawfurdia, Metagentiana and Tripterospermum do not merit status as three separate genera, because sampled species of Crawfurdia and Tripterospermum are embedded within Metagentiana. The speciation and rapid radiation of these three genera is likely to have occurred in western China as a result of upthrust of the Himalayas during the late Miocene and the Pleistocene.

Energy exchange between the atmosphere and a meadow ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

To reveal the potential contribution of grassland ecosystems to climate change, we examined the energy exchange over an alpine Kobresia meadow on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The annual pattern of energy exchange showed a clear distinction between periods of frozen soil with the daily mean soil temperature at 5 cm (T-s5 &LE; 0 &DEG; C) and non-frozen soil (T-s5 > 0 &DEG; C). More than 80% of net radiation was converted to sensible heat (H) during the frozen soil period, but H varied considerably with the change in vegetation during the non-frozen soil period. Three different sub-periods were further distinguished for the later period: (1) the pre-growth period with Bowen ratio (β) > 1 was characterized by a high β of 3.0 in average and the rapid increase of net radiation associated with the increases of H, latent heat (LE) and soil heat; (2) during the Growth period when β &LE; 1, the LE was high but H fluxes was low with β changing between 0.3 and 0.4; (3) the post-growth period with average β of 3.6 when H increased again and reached a second maximum around early October. The seasonal pattern suggests that the phenology of the vegetation and the soil water content were the major factors affecting the energy partitioning in the alpine meadow ecosystem. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimal Fuzzy PID Controller with Incomplete Derivation and Its Simulation Research on Application of Intelligent Artificial Legs

提出了一种新的最优模糊PID控制器，它由两部分组成，即在线模糊推理机构和带有不完全微分的常规PID控制器，在模糊推理机构中，引入了三个可调节因子xp,xi和xd，其作用是进一步修改和优化模糊推理的结果，以使控制器对一个给定对象具有最优的控制效果，可调节因子的最优值采用ITAE准则及Nelder和Mead提出的柔性多面体最优搜索算法加以确定，这种PID控制器被用来控制由作者设计的智能人工腿中的一个直流电机，仿真结果表明该控制器的设计是非常有效的，它可被用于控制各种不同的对象和过程。